We recently connected with Maryam Mir and have shared our conversation below.

Maryam, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Sweet Refuge, my last film, starring Laith Nakli (from Hulu show, Ramy) and Mahira Kakkar (from Netflix show, Manifest) has been one of my most meaningful projects.

Not only because of the final outcome of the film—it played at 45+ festivals, won 9 awards including a Directors Guild of America Jury Award, NewFilmmakers LA Best of 2024 Award and New York Foundation of the Arts Award, and was acquired by AMC+—but because of the process of making it.

So many parts of making the film happened serendipitously and came together in beautiful and unexpected ways. Some examples include:

When I shared the script with my Producer, Aya Hamdan, who also grew up in Bahrain (a tiny island I was raised on), it turned out her family ran a bakery there and they sold baklava too, just like the protagonist of my film!

When we did the chemistry read between Laith Nakli and Mahira Kakkar, my two leads—and the only two actors I auditioned, it turned out they had worked on a play together over a decade ago and had such natural and charming chemistry.

Our cast and crew reflected the film, it was multicultural and global, and each person brought their unique perspective and creativity to it. From Rhea D’Souza, our talented Production Designer hand-making the delicate baklava trays, to Chheangkea, our incredible DP framing each shot with thoughtfulness and care.

There were so many instances like this that kept happening with this film, from the film’s poster artist, Farah Alimi, creating a beautiful, custom painting for us to having AMC+ reaching out to re-acquire the film again this year.

I also feel like it captured a tone I am really fascinated by, one that blends humor with emotion and also brings New York city to life in a way I wanted to portray it—countering the city as being grey and industrial, and instead, capturing its overwhelm and life through a vivid and vibrant color scheme.

It’s also been an incredibly meaningful project for me in the way others have received it so generously. It’s been so beautiful to see how it continues to have a life beyond what we initially imagined—people reaching out to screen it in their communities across London, Egypt and Canada, streaming on global arts platform NOWNESS Asia as well as YouTube’s top showcase for award-winning short films, Omeleto. But, my favorite and greatest compliment is always when people tell me they shared it with their parents and family. I made it because I wanted it to feel accessible to all, to create a feeling of togetherness and comfort, and that really feels like its greatest success.

Maryam, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Maryam Mir and I’m a filmmaker born in Germany, raised in Bahrain and with roots across Kashmir, Canada and Kenya. I’m fascinated by stories that center warmth, joy and connection.

I studied at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania for undergrad, where I concentrated in Marketing and minored in English. After college, I worked in consulting for half a decade, helping companies transform their brand and culture through visual and narrative storytelling, in Dubai and New York. Here, I created campaign and brand videos for institutions and nonprofits. Alongside this work, I was always thinking about film—whether teaching myself animation, making 1-minute short videos or creating documentary style promo videos for small business owners in New York.

When I completed a year-long writing fellowship at the prestigious Asian American Writers’ Workshop and an intensive Summer Residency in Documentary Filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts, I decided to make the leap to Film full-time. I received my MFA in Film Production from NYU Tisch’s Graduate Film Program, where I was an Ang Lee scholar and studied under incredible professors like Spike Lee, Carol Dysinger and Kasi Lemmons. Since then, I’ve worked on 25+ sets and written, directed and produced several award-winning films.

I now blend my consulting background in strategy with my creative practice in film. I write, direct and produce films across narrative, documentary and TV.

My film, “Sweet Refuge”, starring Laith Nakli (from Hulu’s RAMY, A24’s PROBLEMISTA) and Mahira Kakkar (from Broadway’s LIFE OF PI, Netflix’s MANIFEST), has played at 45+ festivals including BlackStar, Hamptons International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Film at Lincoln Center (NYAFF & DIFF), won 9 awards, including a Jury Award for Best Asian American Filmmaker from the Director’s Guild of America, Best of 2024 Award from NewFilmmakers LA and an Artist Award from the New York Foundation of the Arts. It was acquired by AMC+ as part of their “Future of Film: AAPI Rising Stars” collection, is now streaming on YouTube’s top showcase for award-winning short films, Omeleto and is a NOWNESS Asia Pick, highlighting the best of Asian arts.

My latest narrative film, “Grandma Swim”, set in Bahrain, received awards from the Doha Film Institute, PANO Network and HEAR US. It was also selected as 1 of 3 finalists for the AnnaRose King Production Award for Comedic Storytelling.

Alongside narrative filmmaking, I recently produced the documentary “Sarah Thankam Mathews: After All This” for PBS’ American Masters x Firelight Media’s “In the Making” series, following National Book Award shortlisted author, Sarah Thankam Mathews, as she becomes a maestro of her discipline. It premiered at Oscar-qualifying Hot Springs ‘24 and DOC NYC ‘24, and will be streaming on PBS in May 2025. I also recently directed a brand film for global creative collective, kyu and produced a music video for indie rnb duo, bluesoul. I am currently working on several documentary projects with organizations like REI, the Redford Center and others.

I recently completed the 2024 Pillars Artist Fellowship (founded by Oscar-winning Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films, Netflix and Amazon), where I learned from incredible artists including Issa Rae, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Orlando von Einsiedel. I have previously participated in the Gotham Marcie Bloom Directing Fellowship (created by Marcie Bloom, co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics), the UCP Thousand Miles Project Writing Workshop (founded by Apple TV’s Pachinko Creator, Soo Hugh) & the Asian American Writers’ Workshop Open City Fellowship.

I am currently in development on several feature-length narrative films.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The act of collaborating with so many different types of creative people, each with their own specific expertise that they bring to a story to enrich it. I love collaborating with my actors, DP, production designer, producer, costume designer, composer, colorist, etc. Each collaboration is so unique and it’s such an interesting challenge as a director trying to hold the story and vision across these collaborations and create a sense of overall cohesion. It’s so fulfilling to bring people together to create something that started as a wisp of an idea or a few words on paper. It makes me feel connected to something larger and reminds me of why I love filmmaking specifically, as a form and practice, as it is so hinged on collaboration.

I’ve recently also started co-writing films with other people and am finding this process immensely gratifying as well. I often find the writing part of the process quite isolating and it’s been so expansive working with other minds to figure out plot, structure and story, and building on each other’s passions and excitements.

I also feel that screening films with an audience is a type of collaboration too, where you put something up on a screen and suddenly it’s no longer your own—the room fills it with their unique reactions, feelings, experiences. That feels so special and sacred, the kind of presence it requires and the way cinema can transport and transform you.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I often think about my family’s archive and how it is at risk of disappearing completely. Made from over a century of movement spanning 4 continents, our loss was material. With each move, we lost our home videos, our photographs, our sentimental trinkets and heirloom furniture. All that was left was our memories, a desire to preserve them and the togetherness we shared. My filmmaking practice is in some ways an attempt to archive what remains, and to give texture and life to the vividness, delight and celebration I see in the act of coming together. Where do we truly belong, if not with each other? Ultimately, I would like my work to exist as an archive of our joy—I want each creative project to reflect and contribute to that intention of bringing people together, whether a documentary, narrative, animation, sci-fi adventure or magical realist fantasy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maryammir.com

Image Credits

Poster art by Farah Alimi and design by Sruthi Kainady
Image stills by Chheangkea and Anumeha
Photograph by Ishaq Madan