Leila Murton Poole

Writer/Director/Co-Producer/Editor

Leila is a writer/director, currently based in New Zealand having completed a diploma in Screen and Media at Sydney Film School in 2019. With a degree in Physics and Economics and a Masters in Management, she worked in Finance before quitting to travel. She made her way from London to Sydney (and then to New Zealand) without flying and, inspired by what she experienced, wanted to learn how to tell stories in a universal way. Whilst she has been involved in a number of short films, 'Le Miroir' is the first that she has both written and directed.

Director’s Statement

The idea for "Le Miroir" came from an image of a woman carrying a broken mirror down a street during the Spanish Civil War. In fact, it features in a certain Tarvosky film which goes by the same name; The Mirror. 

Drawing on inspiration from Wes Anderson and Jeanne-Pierre Jeunet (notably Amelie), "Le Miroir" is visually rich but the characters have the depth to carry the images in a way where the visual complexity adds rather than distracts. Achieving the tone was a difficult balance; light-hearted at face value but with real grief and loss at its core. It was a pleasure to both write and direct these complex female characters and to watch them be brought so beautifully to life by the extremely talented cast.

Creating this distinctly European film in Australia was a delightful challenge. In many ways, the film is both timeless and placeless and I hope that this is one of the many reasons that it can resonate with audiences worldwide.

www.leilamurtonpoole.com

The film could not have proceeded without our crowdfunders to whom we are extremely grateful. The project was supported by the Australian Cultural Fund and a list of supporters can be found at: https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/le-miroir.