Self-consciously drawing attention to their own workings, the films of German director Christian Petzold have always displayed a degree of abstraction. Although “Afire” (2023), his previous effort before this year’s Directors’ Fortnight entry “Mirrors No. 3,” was one of his most naturalistic in years, the romantic relationship at its core made more sense as a narrative tool in Petzold’s exploration of the misery of artmaking, than as a realistic connection.

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