M.I.A. released her first single ‘Galang’ via XL Recordings in the early 2000s. The track was met with great acclaim, both in England and America: who was this loud South Asian girl using garish beats and clashing graphics to throw Sri Lankan culture into the British music scene? Over a decade later, the artist and activist, real name Mathangi Arulpragasm, seems to possess a similar hold on her audience as the screening of her new documentary Matangi/MAYA/M.I.A. makes an early Tuesday evening outside Hyde Park Picture House seem like a Saturday night on Call Lane.

Directed by former art-school friend Steve Loveridge, Matangi/MAYA/M.I.A. documents Arulpragasm’s story, from her arrival to the UK as an immigrant in childhood to her surge into the music scene. The film compiles a mix of archival, home-video style footage with more recent material by Loveridge, but it’s in the former—the blurrier, more wholesome moments— that we first get an idea of what M.I.A. is about, with no shortage of wit, attitude and charm. From this point onwards, we not only learn about M.I.A., but we can also trace the shared experience of POC in 21st century Britain, from not being taken seriously to tirelessly overcoming humiliation and backlash (often by old, white men). Though frustrating to watch, this bares an element of Arulpragasm that pervades throughout the film: her unstoppable attitude embarking on an unending mission. This hyper-personal insight allows the audience to understand and relate to M.I.A. on a whole new level, and to be washed over with admiration in doing so.

Not only does M.I.A. stand out as a performer—or ‘pop star’ as she humbly refers to herself throughout— she also demands respect as the vehement activist she is. Though her musical process is featured heavily throughout the film, with footage of live shows and clips from her music videos, it is her political endeavours that take centre stage. This approach seems appropriate as her Sri Lankan heritage and support for the Tamil resistance has always been overt, interwoven through her music and videos and shamelessly pasted over social media. In this way, the documentary remains faithful to her practice, as both maintain the equilibrium of personal and political.

Whether a fan of her music or not, Matangi/MAYA/M.I.A. offers a fascinating background to M.I.A. as an artist, an activist, and crucially, as a human.

 

Safi Bugel

Image credit: spin.com / Daniel Sannwald