Director: Steve Loveridge
Plot: Drawn from a never-before-seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.
Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Important Documentary
Story: Matangi/Maya/M.I.A starts as we get to learn about the childhood of Maya, a Sri Lankan woman that was taken away from her homeland to be raised in England in the 80’s, she had to learn to deal with the racism she was facing daily, with her escape being in music, where she got to find inspiration on what would drive her going forward.
Growing up she got close to artists that would help her reach a new audience, which she wants to use as a platform to help campaign for the troubles in her homeland.
Thoughts on Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
Final Thoughts – This is a documentary that puts the spotlight on the first Sri Lankan hip-hop artists that became a sensation in the western world. She found barriers in the music industry, but broke them down, she didn’t just wait for music to make a change, she took her new found fame to a new level by using her position to campaign to improve the awareness of the troubles in her homeland. We get to see how the media and the government would try to censor the campaigns, trying to turn people against her, even if she refused to back down on her campaign for awareness in Sri Lanka. This is important, this is great to watch to see just how people can use their position of power for change.
Overall: Documentary about making a change.
