Girl in a Mirror (2005) User Reviews

Carol Jerrems - the complex artist.

[chrismccloughen · 14 February 2019]

Warning: Contains some spoilers. This short documentary relates something of the life of Australian photographer, Carol Jerrems, who died aged 30 in 1980 from Budd-Chiari syndrome. Carol had obvious talent and photographed compelling black and white images of people in a style in tune with the period of the sexual revolution and women's liberation in the 1970's. She was a complex person who despite having a number of sexual relationships with men she knew and despite having photographed herself nude and semi-nude many times (including during her terminal illness), is described as somewhat closed off and distant from those who knew her. Typically, of many artistically inclined people, she also struggled with depression but appears to have come to a state of acceptance about her life over her last months with her terminal illness. Carol also directed a short movie, Hanging About (1978), about rape and had herself been raped earlier in her life. The movie is directed with competence by Kathy Drayton who also wrote the script. Watching, Girl in the Mirror, reminded me of New Zealand photographer, Rebecca Swan who photographed herself while having cancer and treatment over 1991/92 and published a book entitled, The Big C. Swan survived her experience with cancer.