My Mirror review: Loneliness and the comfort of social media

Directed by Jayakrishnan Subramanian and Franziska Schönenberger, the short film My Mirror explores the loneliness of a young wife who finds a new lease of life through social media.

On her first wedding anniversary, Mythili (Athira Sukumaran) browses through her phone, revisiting the wedding ceremony. She makes a video for her husband Ramesh (Patrick Yogarajan) who is in Dubai, putting together happy moments from the time spent together with him. She misses him but, preoccupied with his job, he has no time for her.

Feeling lonesome, Mythili starts making videos and sharing them on an app, My Mirror. She starts getting comments, compliments, especially from another video uploader, Sathish. When her husband finds out what she is up to, it has dire consequences.

The short film, written and produced by Schönenberger, examines Mythili’s desire to be noticed. Unable to understand her or even attempt to understand her, Ramesh just expects her to be content with her traditional role, that of being a good daughter-in-law and quiet, submissive wife. We find out his conservative attitudes towards his wife as he scolds her and says, “A married woman does not behave like this”, even calling her a whore just for uploading dance videos.

My Mirror creates the virtual world and phone screens well as it delves into some of the reasons for the popularity of TikTok videos as spaces for projecting oneself and connecting virtually with like-minded people. The film explores the ways in which social media can alleviate our isolation, making us feel connected and appreciated. Athira Sukumaran gives a good performance as the lonely wife, craving for some interaction, ably portraying her emotions.

My Mirror was screened as part of the DC South Asian Film Festival 2022.