Maya

Pacific Northwest Premiere
Directed by K/XI
Written by K/XI
Starring Madiha Hidayat, Ramsha Shaikh, K/XI
2022 | 92 mins | Pakistan | Urdu | English subtitles
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After a childhood incident leaves her without any memories, Maya is adopted by an elderly couple, along with another orphan, Kalika, who she forms a sisterly bond with. Through feverish nightmares and unsettling events, Maya rediscovers her traumatic childhood through the grips of Jinn possession.

Writer/Director K/XI filmed Maya entirely on location in Pakistan. “Despite the conservative nature of the country and the dangers of being a female filmmaker, I ran around markets, climbed up rooftops, and pulled other crazy stunts to get ‘Maya’ made, without a crew for most of the time. Any crew I did have were young women in the community who wanted to help with lighting on set, or help assist with equipment. I was lucky to find a cast who had not previously acted before, but were truly exceptional in portraying the emotions of the story, after all, for me the core story of ’Maya’ was about love despite the horror.”