- 2018-07-20
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FILM
The First Trailer for New Documentary Film “MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.” starring M.I.A.
British rapper Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, aka M.I.A. premiered the first trailer for a new biographical documentary film “MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A.”, directed by Steve Loveridge, starring M.I.A. herself.
The film follows the rapper's life, her rise to fame and her perspective on the controversies sparked over her music, public appearances and political activism.
Steve Loveridge is her long-term friend and started the project in 2011. Originally, he supposed to release the film in 2013. But he released a teaser video on YouTube, because the film had legal problem and funding delays associated with the project.
The video was pulled from YouTube after a copyright claim was made by IFPI, on behalf of Interscope and Roc Nation, the label representing M.I.A. He quit the project.
However, the UK non-profit documentary support organization BRITDOC Foundation announced funding, then he rejoined the project.
The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award, appeared at three other festivals, and will be released in theatres in the U.K. and the U.S. in September 2018.- M.I.A. said, “I had to deal with the fact that I was different and I was an immigrant. Music was my medicine. It just blew up so quickly. I lived through war, came as a refugee that is now a pop star. What are the goal posts?"
The film features samples of the M.I.A. tracks "Born Free", "Paper Planes", "Bad Girls" and "Borders". - source : Rolling Stone