‘Maya and Samar’ Director Slams NC-17 Rating Decision

Director Anita Doron has spoken out against the MPAA’s decision to give her new film, Maya and Samar, an NC-17 rating, calling it “shocking” and “deeply disappointing.” The romantic drama, which explores the passionate relationship between a Canadian journalist and a queer Afghan woman in Athens, will premiere on November 4 at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.

“The fact that our film received an NC-17 rating, while many others that aren’t about queer love don’t, was truly shocking,” Doron told Variety. Known for writing the Oscar-nominated animated feature The Breadwinner, Doron said the film’s intimate moments are not meant to provoke but to celebrate the joy and sacredness of female love and sexuality.

‘Maya and Samar’ Director Blasts ‘Shocking’ NC-17 Rating: Queer Romantic Drama Celebrates ‘Joy,’ ‘Sacredness’ of Love Between Women (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/A0WgxNkQmh

— Variety (@Variety) November 4, 2025

Written by Tamara Faith Berger (Lie With Me, Steal Away), the story follows Maya (Nicolette Pearse), a young journalist covering sex and pop culture, whose life changes after meeting Samar (Amanda Babaei Vieira), a queer Afghan woman rebuilding her life in Greece after fleeing the Taliban. Their short but intense relationship exposes the vast cultural and emotional differences between them — one rooted in privilege, the other in survival.

“This isn’t just an affair,” Doron explained. “It’s a reckoning — a mirror reflecting the illusions of privilege and the truths we avoid.”

Maya and Samar is a Canada–Greece co-production between Serendipity Point Films, January Media, and Filmiki Productions, supported by Telefilm Canada, the Greek Film Center, Bell Media, CBC, and others. It is produced by Robert Lantos, Julia Rosenberg, and Laura Lanktree, with Nikolas Alavanos as co-producer and Steve Solomos as supervising producer.

Producer Laura Lanktree described the film as a “passion project” years in the making. The team interviewed Afghan refugees in Greece and worked with several as cultural consultants to ensure authenticity. “We wanted to honor their stories and show what life is really like for Afghans living undocumented in Athens,” she said.

The film also sheds light on the struggles faced by LGBTQ individuals under the Taliban. Actress Amanda Babaei Vieira, who portrays Samar, said she was inspired by Afghanistan’s underground queer community, describing its “resilience and inventiveness” as “beyond inspiring.”

Her co-star, Nicolette Pearse, praised the production for creating a respectful environment during their intimate scenes. “We had full control over how our characters expressed desire,” she said. “It felt like a sacred space where we could tell the truth of their connection.”

Maya and Samar will be distributed in Canada by VVS Films, with Distant Horizon managing international sales. U.S. rights are still available. The filmmakers continue to challenge what they see as a double standard in how queer love — particularly between women — is represented in mainstream cinema.

“In recent years, we’ve seen more LGBTQ stories on screen,” Lanktree added. “But when it’s lesbian love, it’s still often shown through a male lens. We wanted to reclaim that narrative.”

Director Doron concluded, “I’ve always wanted to tell stories where female sexuality isn’t used as decoration or titillation. Maya and Samar is about love that’s messy, poetic, and alive.”

The Thessaloniki Film Festival runs from October 30 to November 9.