Matangi/Maya/M.I.A

Sunday 12 October at Henkel Street Cinema brings you MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A, the ninth offering in this year’s Sunday School of Rock series.

There’s been a bit of an ongoing theme emerging here at Sunday School of Rock and that is RADICAL WOMEN. Matangi/Maya/M.I.A fits right into that theme as film maker Steve Loveridge’s intimate, some say obsessive, film paints a portrait of Mathangi Arulpragasam aka the rapper M.I.A.

M.I.A is something of an artistic polymath. She’s one of those controversial figures who you can say is a political artist first and a musician second as her interests span visual and cinematic arts as well as fashion as expressive platforms for identity and resistance. She’s also something of a cultural conundrum. She was controversial enough to be denied entry to Canada (as occurred in 2018 when this documentary screened at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival) but then she was also establishment enough to be awarded an MBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours. She’s a passionate and well-informed critic of Sri Lankan Tamil genocide but also willing to spruik unfounded conspiracy theories linking 5G to Covid vaccines and autism.

Here’s what the producers have to say about the film:

“Drawn from a cache of personal video recordings from the past 22 years, director Steve Loveridge’s Sundance award winning MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is a startlingly personal profile of the critically acclaimed artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to pop star.

Never one to compromise on her vision, Maya kept her camera rolling throughout. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. provides unparalleled, intimate access to the artist in her battles with the music industry and mainstream media as her success and fame explodes, becoming one of the most recognizable, outspoken and provocative voices in music today.”

Using much of the subject’s own footage, Loveridge assembles a fascinating look at the environment and conditions for creating a radical artist.

Running time: 96 minutes