Mayilaa
Singapore Premiere
Semmalar Annam India 2026 94 min NC16 (Some Coarse Language)
In this exuberant spin on the road movie, a rural mother-daughter pair become unlikely salespeople as they navigate inequalities and faith.
After leaving her abusive husband, Mayilaa makes a meagre living while raising her daughter, who suffers from constipation. She banks on her pluck along with a peculiar, fiercely devoted connection to the village goddess whose name she shares. But when Mayilaa loses her job and a religious duty looms, she must hit the road and leave her village in rural Tamil Nadu to sell straw mats, with her daughter in tow.
On a cranky moped, knocking on door after door, she often runs up against chauvinism or classism. But the world beyond her village offers its own curiosities too. Mayilaa’s travels often bring her into the orbits of women entirely unlike her, who lovingly extend solidarity or remain coolly indifferent, all to her wonder.
From its nonprofessional cast to the unassumingly infectious rhythm, Mayilaa is a debut that brims with confidence. Its neorealist observation and surrealist sequences suture multitudes within the material and spiritual lives of women in rural India. Delivering a lively vision of feminist freedom with a dose of scatological humour, Mayilaa paints a woman’s defiance with care and empathy.
Synopsis Writer: Ryan Lim
Horizon, Q&A
22 Oct, Thu 9:00PM / 94 min
Golden Village Cineleisure, Hall 2
An SGIFFriend, Industry or Cinephile Passholder?
Access your pass benefits when checking out.
AT THE FEST!
All regular screenings are on a free seating, first-come, first-served basis.
Our Festival Opening, Festival Closing, and Special Presentations will have reserved seating.
We kindly ask all ticket holders to arrive on time. Latecomers may not be guaranteed entry.
RUSH QUEUE:
For last-minute attendees, good news. Our Rush Queue is back this year!
Mayilaa
மயிலா
Semmalar Annam
India
2026
Tamil
English
94 min
NC16 (Some Coarse Language)
Singapore Premiere
Semmalar Annam
Working mainly in Tamil-language cinema, Semmalar Annam began her career directing and acting in short films. As an actress, she is known for her award-winning performances in films such as Sennai (2021) and Shashthi (2022). She directed the short film, Mudhal Mazhai (2021), which explores bodily autonomy and feminine identity. Mayilaa, her directorial feature debut, premiered at Rotterdam.
P. Melody Dorcas,
V. Shudar Kodi
Anto Chittilappilly