Maria was born in London to a Russian mother and Polish father, which caused some amount of cultural confusion and just the right amount of conflict to discover strength – and stories! – in the clash of one’s multiple identities.

An early interest in music, performance, and literature led her towards theatre, but she was soon lured by the relative independence of filmmaking – no permission needed! After working on sets and in development for a film producer, she made her first short – about the time she applied for LFS – and never looked back.