Matangi / Maya / M.I.A
Description
Can a pop star also be a revolutionary? This dichotomy, among others, is explored in this wide-ranging documentary about internationally renowned musician M.I.A. Told almost exclusively with footage that she herself shot, the film follows the genre-busting singer from her teenage years in London to her controversial Superbowl performance and beyond, revealing how her struggles with fame and fortune lie alongside her unfaltering commitment to bring political awareness to her home country of Sri Lanka.
“It’s in these later stages of the film, as her life becomes ever more complex, that Loveridge captures the best original material. While it’s a thrill to see her breezily workshop her tracks early in her career, including a great exploratory version of ‘Paper Planes’ and a visit to see Afrikan Boy and dance with him, she remains emotionally elusive; it’s the painful times in more recent years are where we really get to know her.” – Charlie Phillips, The Guardian
London-based filmmaker and digital artist Steve Loveridge previously made an animated short, No Experience Necessary (2002). MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A., his years-in-the-making feature documentary debut, won a World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Film Details
Language English, Tamil
Year 2018
Runtime 95
Country UK/Sri Lanka/USA
Director Steve Loveridge
Producer Lori Cheatle, Andrew Goldman, Paul Mezey
Editor Marina Katz, Gabriel Rhodes
Music Dhani Harrison, Paul Hicks