A daring new video series that turns the camera—and the mirror—on identity, beauty, and self-worth.
Filmmaker Michael Hyman unveils Reflections, a daring new video series that turns the camera—and the mirror—on identity, beauty, and self-worth. Shot on 16mm film and inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic 1960s Screen Tests, the 16 short films invite participants to confront the most intimate and unflinching subject of all: themselves.
Where Warhol’s cultural icons sat still for three minutes before his lens, Hyman raises the stakes. Each Reflections film captures four minutes of silence as subjects face their own mirrored image. The result is both minimalist and deeply revealing. It is a cinematic experiment in discomfort, vulnerability, and transformation.
“Warhol’s subjects often didn’t know what to do with themselves,” says Hyman. “I wanted to heighten that pressure. By adding the mirror, I asked people to not only sit still, but to face who they truly are.”
Filmed in a single day, the series showcases a diverse cross-section of the LGBTQIA+ community, aligning with Out of Character’s mission to amplify authentic, underrepresented voices. Among the participants is Justin Jedlica, a well-known advocate for plastic surgery, whose segment confronts questions of self-image head-on.
“Reflections required us to maintain silence for four minutes, just me and my reflection,” Jedlica recalls. “For me, it became less about loathing and more about self-love. It was reaffirming to look at myself, not just aesthetically, but internally, and feel pride in being true to who I am, despite years of outside pressure to conform.”
Transgender actress and author La Marisol shares a similar discovery. “At first, it felt raw and uncomfortable to strip away the layers we put on for the world. But as the session progressed, I began to see my scars, my smile, my softness, and my strength coexist. That shift – from self-consciousness to self-celebration – was powerful to witness in real time.”
Hyman deliberately limited his role as director, ensuring that each subject’s experience remained unfiltered. “Some people embraced the stillness, while others visibly wrestled with it,” he says. “That tension is what makes the films so alive.”
Even Hyman himself sat for the camera, completing the cycle of vulnerability. “If I were asking others to go through it, I had to do the same. It was, without question, one of the most uncomfortable things I’ve done.”
While visually spare, the emotional weight of Reflections is layered and profound. “Most participants discovered that their image, positive or negative, is ultimately subjective,” Hyman explains. “What matters is learning to accept what you see.”
In a culture dominated by fleeting 15-second clips, Hyman sees Reflections as a counterpoint to Warhol’s famous “15 minutes of fame” prophecy. “Social media has redefined fame, but the more urgent conversation is about authenticity and what it means to see yourself without filters or performance truly.”
As the debut project from Out of Character, the queer arts organization founded by Hyman, Reflections embodies its mission of “strength and activism through art.” The collective is committed to telling authentic stories and elevating diverse voices that are often excluded from mainstream narratives.
Out actor Jason Caceres, who participated alongside his partner Bryan, hopes the films resonate beyond the LGBTQIA+ community. “I hope viewers see how uniquely different we all are, while also recognizing our shared humanity. We all face the same experience of being human, but it’s our individual reactions to that experience that define us.”
By merging Warhol-inspired visual minimalism with an unapologetically personal lens, Reflections offers audiences a rare cinematic pause: four uninterrupted minutes to watch someone meet themselves in the mirror, and perhaps feel inspired to do the same.
Reflections premieres October 1 on youtube.com/@OutofCharacterMedia and at OutofCharacter.com.