New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Drawn from 22 years of personal video recordings, MATANGI / MAYA /
M.I.A. is a startlingly personal profile of the critically acclaimed artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee to pop star. She began as Matangi. Daughter of the founder of Sri Lanka's armed Tamil resistance, she hid from the government in the face of a VICIOUS and bloody civil war. When her family fled to the UK, she became Maya, a precocious and creative immigrant teenager in London. The world met her as
M.I.A. when she emerged on the global stage with a mashup, cut-and-paste persona that pulled from every corner of her journey; a sonic sketchbook that blended Tamil politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering voice of a burgeoning, multicultural youth. MATANGI / MAYA /
M.I.A. provides unparalleled, intimate access to the artist in her battles with the music industry and mainstream media as she became one of the most recognizable, outspoken and provocative voices in music today.
WINNER - World Cinema Documentary Award - Sundance Film Festival
WINNER - Best
Music Documentary - International Documentary Association
OPENING NIGHT - New Directors / New Films
NOMINATED - Best Score - International Documentary Association
NOMINATED - Audience Choice - Cinema Eye Awards
NOMINATED - "Unforgettables" Nonfiction Subject - Cinema Eye Awards
"2018's most illuminating pop doc." -The Guardian
One of the 10 Best Documentaries of 2018 -Paste Magazine
One of THE 20 Best Films of 2018 -Dazed Magazine
"Fascinating and insightful...an extraordinary visual document that dives deep into the life of M.I.A." -Billboard
"This is not a normal pop documentary, because
M.I.A. is not a normal pop star." -The Atlantic
"Inspires deep respect for the fierce and independent artist that is M.I.A., a person whose voice is necessary, now more than ever." -Los Angeles Times
"M.I.A. lights up this intimate documentary like a case of fireworks." -Time Out
"The time feels suddenly ripe for the west to reassess her perspective anew, to see not irrelevance but foresight." -Vulture
"Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. is an illuminating and enjoyable portrait of one of the most interesting pop musicians of this century who, even after this, remains inscrutable in many of the ways that matter."-Toronto Star
"Has such a powerful message deep down - resist, and stay honest, and maintain your integrity, no matter what"-First Showing
"An UNCOMPROMISING look at an artist who always refused to play by the script others laid out for her."-The Film Stage