Screening on May 3 at Innis Town Hall and GlobalLink Cinema, Toronto
The gripping indie thriller About Maya—co-directed by Nasim Naghavi and Amir Ganjavie—delves into the fragile boundary between identity and judgment in the life of a Middle Eastern woman living in exile. Set in Toronto, the film unfolds through the genre structure of a crime thriller, ultimately revealing a layered and tragic exploration of guilt, trauma, and selfhood. Ahead of its screening on May 3 at Innis Town Hall and GlobalLink Cinema, we sat down with Nasim Naghavi to discuss the inspiration, cultural textures, and narrative architecture behind the film.
Q: What inspired the initial concept for About Maya?
Nasim Naghavi: The idea was born out of a personal tragedy—one of our close friends died by suicide. What shook us most wasn’t just his death but the harsh judgment his wife faced afterward. She was blamed by nearly everyone, left completely alone, and had no support system. That emotional shock stayed with us, and although the final film doesn’t follow this story literally, it was the emotional and thematic seed for About Maya.
Q: How did this real-life event shape the film’s narrative direction?
Nasim Naghavi: It led us to explore themes of judgment, gender, and freedom—especially through the lens of a Middle Eastern woman trying to define herself against both societal and patriarchal forces. Seeing our friend’s wife judged so harshly made us ask deeper questions: How much of a person’s identity is their own, and how much is inherited or imposed—through culture, family, or society?
Q: The film deals heavily with identity. How did you approach that theme?
Nasim Naghavi: For us, identity is layered. Is it defined by the country you’re born in? Your family? Your culture? Or is it something more fluid—formed through passions, relationships, and self-discovery? In the film, the protagonist is haunted by a past she didn’t choose. Yet she’s forced to answer for it alone. We wanted to show the cruelty of being judged not for what you’ve done, but for what you represent.
Q: How did you ensure the film’s cultural authenticity while working in a genre like thriller?
Nasim Naghavi: We felt that blending genre filmmaking with Arab cultural elements was key. There’s a huge untapped audience—over 400 million people in Arab countries—but thrillers in this context are rare. We wanted the story to feel grounded: from the way rooms are arranged to the political echoes in the background, and even in the music. Everything had to breathe with an Arab sensibility, while staying true to the thriller genre.
Q: Why did you choose to tell this story as a thriller rather than a straight drama?
Nasim Naghavi: Because genre—especially thrillers—gives you the power to both entertain and provoke thought. A well-structured genre film can often reach people more effectively than a cold, hyper-realistic narrative. We were inspired by films like Chinatown—how a mystery slowly unfolds to reveal something tragic and deeply human. That’s what we aimed for: a thriller that gradually strips away its layers to reveal a tragedy underneath.
Q: What were the challenges of working in this genre as independent filmmakers?
Nasim Naghavi: Thrillers are demanding. They require precision—special effects, tension, pacing, action, atmosphere. But we embraced the challenge. With limited resources, we focused on storytelling, pacing, and atmosphere. We structured the film like peeling an onion—each scene revealing something new, something deeper. Our goal wasn’t just to create suspense, but to craft a story that resonates and lingers.
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from About Maya?
Nasim Naghavi: We hope they question the ease with which we judge others—especially women, immigrants, and those burdened with inherited identities. The film is ultimately about how isolating it can be to be misunderstood, and how strength sometimes means quietly surviving a narrative that others have written for you.
Prepared by Zach Marsh
© 2020-2025. UniversalCinema Mag.