The Paper Mirror

In the winter of 2010, Alison Bechdel is entrenched in the process of writing Are You My Mother, a hauntingly personal graphic memoir about her mother, and a follow up of sorts to 2006’s award-winning Fun Home. Known best for her decades-long comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” Bechdel’s artistry is in a transitional phase, as is world-renowned painter Riva Lehrer’s, as she moves from art focusing on disabilities into other subjects.

Charissa King O'Brien’s intimate short documentary captures this pivotal collaboration between two influential artists, as Lehrer completes a compelling portrait of Bechdel over the course of two years, yielding a highly satisfying work of psychological insight.