Patrick RoyWith its upcoming theatrical release at Ottawa’s iconic Mayfair Theatre, About Maya continues to build momentum after a strong festival run. Distributed by Indiecan Entertainment, the film has sparked attention for its bold fusion of emotional depth and suspenseful genre storytelling.
We had the chance to speak with co-director Nasim Naghavi about the creative journey behind the film, the challenges of telling a culturally rooted story in a thriller format—and what she hopes audiences will take away from Maya’s quiet struggle.
Patrick Roy, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): First of all, congratulations on the Ottawa screening at the historic Mayfair Theatre! What does this milestone mean for you and the team?
Nasim Naghavi (NN): Thank you! It’s a beautiful moment for all of us. Having About Maya screen at a cinema like the Mayfair means that the film is reaching a broader, more diverse audience. It also means that people will experience it the way it was meant to be seen—on the big screen, immersed in sound and tension. We’re grateful to Indian Entertainment, our distributor, for believing in the film and helping us get here.
(UM): About Maya is structured as a thriller, but it clearly carries deeper emotional and philosophical currents. Why did you choose this genre?
(NN): Thrillers allow you to invite the audience into a mystery and then gradually reveal something more intimate beneath the surface. We didn’t want to make a dry psychological drama—we wanted the emotions to unfold organically, through suspense. Films like Chinatown really inspired us: stories where the puzzle you’re solving is actually a human soul.
(UM): You co-wrote and directed this with Amir Ganjavie. How did the original idea for the film take shape?
(NN): It came from a deeply personal place. A close friend of ours died by suicide, and the way his wife was treated afterward—how people rushed to judge her—was devastating. That experience became the emotional and moral starting point for About Maya. We didn’t retell that story, but we tried to capture the isolation and weight of being unfairly blamed.
(UM): Identity is a central theme in the film. How did you approach that with your lead character?
(NN): Identity, for Maya, is a haunting question. She didn’t choose the culture or past she’s associated with, yet she’s forced to carry it. We wanted to explore how identity can feel like a burden—how people are judged not for what they’ve done, but for where they come from or what they represent. It’s especially powerful when that judgment is directed at women and immigrants.
(UM): What challenges did you face while trying to balance cultural authenticity with thriller conventions?
(NN): That was a big part of the project. We wanted the film to be suspenseful but grounded in real textures—how someone from a Middle Eastern background might live, think, and respond to trauma in a Western city. The music, the set design, even the character’s silences—they had to reflect a cultural truth, not just serve the genre.
(UM): You mentioned the importance of silence. How did that work in your approach to suspense?
(NN): Silence was everything. With limited resources, we couldn’t rely on spectacle, but we could rely on atmosphere. The stillness between words, the weight in a character’s eyes—these were our tools. And in a thriller, silence can speak louder than any gunshot. It creates a tension that lingers.
(UM): Do you see About Maya as speaking specifically to Middle Eastern audiences—or something broader?
(NN): The context is Middle Eastern, but the message is universal. Anyone who has felt misunderstood or confined by others’ expectations will relate. That said, there’s a huge gap in genre storytelling from the Arab world. We wanted to step into that space—prove that these stories can be just as thrilling, layered, and cinematic as any other.
(UM): What do you hope stays with viewers after watching the film?
(NN): I hope they walk away asking themselves how quickly they judge others—especially women and immigrants. Maya’s story is about surviving a narrative others have written for her. If the film leaves people thinking more deeply about the stories they assume about others, then we’ve done something meaningful.
🎥 About Maya
📍 Screening Location: Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa
📅 Dates: June 9–15, 2025
🎟 Tickets: Available at the Mayfair Theatre box office and via the link here: https://mayfairtheatre.ca/movie/about-maya/
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