Hi Maya (2004) User Reviews

Two old women meet after a very long silence

[arusten · 10/10 · 6 February 2005]

This beautiful short movie is one of the most sensitive I have ever seen, describing how people can feel when they accidentally meet after having lost contact during their entire life. This story is about two 70 years old women who were very close friends in their youth finding themselves one day face to face at the hairdresser's and not quite recognizing each other - or not being sure that the person sitting there is really the one they knew in the past. What is first not said is the fact that the two girls had a beginning of a love affair together, and you become aware of it through beautiful flash-back scenes of the past with the young girls bathing in the lake of Zurich, appearing just like visual remembrances in the mind of each of both characters. The difficulty to get in touch again after such a long silence and the ability of forgive and just enjoy the pleasure to be together despite the burden of age are suggested in a very intelligent way, without any intention of trying to lead the viewer into expected emotions. This story is nothing but a touch of grace among the average production of the film schools.

Very sweet reuniting of friendship and love

[katrubie · 9/10 · 9 September 2018]

This film is based in Zurich and spoken in Swiss German, so I was unable to follow the verbal conversations, but the visual cues were sufficient to follow the movie.

It begins in a beauty shop where two women see each other for the first time in 40 years, but they're not sure that each is the person they once knew. A second trip to the shop they meet again and speak and soon begin to rekindle a long ago romance.

Throughout the short film you see the two women experiencing flashbacks to the beginning of their romance.

The film is very short, but they pack a great story into that time.

Not too entertaining or realistic

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 1 December 2015]

"Hoi Maya" is a Swiss 12-minute short film from over 10 years ago. It is basically about 2 old women (one of them the title character) that meet after a long time again and rekindle their friendship. The first meeting happens at a hairdresser. Okay, it's already a huge coincidence, but not completely impossible. Apart from that, I had a problem with the 2 immediately acting like best friends again. I mean this would have taken some time right? Getting close again after such a long time, but it does not in this little Swiss movie. In addition, it is just not very interesting, neither from a dramatic perspective (pretty much non-existent), nor in terms of comedy or emotion. It has a bit of both, but just not enough to make this a good watch. I see that pretty much all the key players (including writer/director Claudia Lorenz) have not been truly prolific in film before or after this movie and I can see why. Lack of talent most likely. Not recommended.