29/03/2022 - Siddhant Sarin and Debankon Singh Solanky’s documentary zooms in on the aftermath of an acid attack on two Indian women

It is certainly a delicate and genuine gaze, that offered by Siddhant Sarin and Debankon Singh Solanky in their observational documentary Mirror. The film is playing in the Panorama section of this year’s Vilnius International Film Festival (24 March-3 April) following its world premiere at the Budapest International Documentary Festival two months ago.

In detail, Sarin and Singh Solanky zoom in on the lives of two young Indian women, called Ritu Saini and Faraha Khan, who both survived acid attacks perpetrated by their partners. How deep does such trauma go, in changing and reshaping one’s identity? How can the victim of such horror recover a sense of normalcy and femininity? What can she do to sensitise the public opinion and fight discrimination? Even though acid attacks are sadly taking place across the globe, Southeast Asian countries, including India, seem to record a growing number of cases. According to Acid Survivors’ Trust International, around 250-300 cases are reported every year, but the actual number could potentially exceed 1,000.

In their film, the two directors adopt an observational approach, never intrusive and never lapsing into sentimentalism. Ritu and Faraha, despite the obvious pain they carry, try to gather attention with their stories through social media and by actively engaging in debates with “the same society that discarded them.” These efforts give them one more important reason to carry on, and help them accept the reality they are forced to face. At the same time, we witness glimpses of their everyday life, during which they prudently disclose more information about their past, their fears and their interests. For example, we find out that Faraha’s damaged eyesight prevents her from working like she used to — her passion was embroidery and she once owned a business that also collected orders from foreign markets. Through their interactions with doctors, we also get to know the heavy implications and therapies they need to deal with.

Sarin and Singh Solanky’s documentary is definitely the result of well conducted research. The two subjects gradually open up in front of the camera, despite the heavy emotional burdens they carry, and are very generous in giving us food for thought. Aesthetically speaking, it’s a rather ‘raw’ work that feels, for the most part, more like a documentary study than a finalised work. Nevertheless, it is evident that the focus of the two helmers is to shed light on the topic, and such approach does not necessarily require a honed, sophisticated visual language. It’s a sincere piece of filmmaking, and that is more than enough for Sarin and Singh Solanky to fulfil their task.

Mirror is a co-production between India’s Teh Films, Lithuania’s Studija Nominum and South Korea’s Seesaw Pictures. Prominent Lithuanian documentarian Arūnas Matelis served as one of the producers. Studija Nominum is also in charge of its distribution.