Doc Series screening explores turbulent background of M.I.A.

On Sunday, November 4th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, the Bozeman Doc Series presents the Montana premiere of the award-winning new documentary, Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., beginning at 7pm.
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.
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. Finally, the world met her as M.I.A. when she emerged on the global stage, having created a mashup, cut- and-paste identity that pulled from every corner of her journey along the way; a sonic sketchbook that blended Tamil politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering, ultra-confident voice of a burgeoning multicultural youth.
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.
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. world-premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded a Special Jury Award in the World Cinema Documentary category.
“Filled with exhilarating music… a chaotic but fascinating documentary about rapper Maya Arulpragasam, who goes by the stage name M.I.A. It’s also a rewarding and unexpected look at one artist’s personal growth.” – Film Journal
“Excellent… Loveridge’s movie is a fantastic and kinetic fulfillment of Maya Arulpragasam’s desire, back then, to be heard as more than an entertainer.” – The Atlantic
Doors open at 6:30pm. Single admission to Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. is $10, or $8 for students. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at Cactus Records and Movie Lovers, as well as www.bozemandocseries.org where you can buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue with one screening every other week through April.