Take Care of Maya (2023)
Take Care of MayaMovie on Netflix
Available at home
Subscription
Trailer
Why watch this film?
Directed by first-time filmmaker Henry Roosevelt, Take Care of Maya follows the story of young American Maya Kowalski, who was diagnosed as a child with a rare illness that causes excruciating localized pain and drastically reduces her mobility. However, Maya's parents do whatever it takes to cure her and agree to undergo a risky experimental treatment in Mexico. But surprise—Maya quickly starts to improve. Some time later, though, Maya begins to suffer from intense abdominal pain. Is the illness coming back? Along with her parents and younger brother, they go to a local hospital to receive the proper treatment, and is where everything goes wrong. The doctors there claim that the girl has no illness and that everything is caused by her mother, Beata Kowalski. They take away the parents' custody, leave the girl in the hospital, and suspend her medications. Little by little, things deteriorate until reaching a tragic and catastrophic point. Roosevelt, who tells the entire story in a very linear way, exercises moderation in his filmmaking approach: he avoids flashy camera techniques, uses darker photography, and ultimately lets the story speak for itself. He knows, after all, that no kind of visual pyrotechnics is needed to impress. The story itself is an avalanche of emotions, a mix of pain and outrage. Read more in our full review of Take Care of Maya.
Filmelier
Our suggestions
Plot summary
As a medical team tries to understand 10-year-old Maya Kowalski's rare illness, they begin to question her parents. Suddenly, Maya is in state custody - despite a family desperate to bring their daughter home.
To share
Do you want to watch something different?
Watch full movies now!
Press play and be surprised!
Where to watch?
Available at home
Documentary
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
Discover the untold story of the toxic and abusive environment inside ‘90s kids’ TV. Hear harrowing accounts from former child stars and crew who probe the balance of power in the industry and reveal an era that inflicted lasting wounds still felt today.
The Woman of Stars and Mountains
Rita Patiño, an indigenous woman from Mexico, was found by a human rights organization inside a Kansas psychiatric hospital, where she had been involuntarily confined, for 12 years, despite the fact that the hospital authorities were never able to determine who was this woman, where did she come from, or what language she spoke. After the consequences of confinement and medical negligence, Rita returned to Mexico, where she lives with Juanita, her niece, and primary caregiver, in a context of precarious economic possibilities. A moving portrait of the lives of these two Tarahumara women, questioning the multiple forms of racism and discrimination that indigenous women in Mexico and the United States face.
Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut
Delve into the digestive system with this lighthearted and informative documentary that demystifies the role gut health plays in our overall well-being.
