{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Maya Dardel | image = Maya_Dardel.jpg | caption = | director = Zachary Cotler<br>Magdalena Zyzak | producer = Craig R. Johnson<br>Mike S. Ryan<br>Morgan Jon Fox<br>Dariusz Jablonski<br>Violetta Kaminska<br>Izabela Wojcik | writer = Zachary Cotler<br>Magdalena Zyzak | narrator = | starring = {{Plainlist| * Lena Olin * Jordan Gavaris * Alexander Koch * Nathan Keyes * Rosanna Arquette }} | music = Zachary Cotler | cinematography = Patrick Scola | editing = Osman Bayraktaroglu | distributor = Samuel Goldwyn Films<br>Orion Pictures | studio = The Winter Film Company<br>Greyshack Films<br>Message Film
| released = {{Film date|2017|03|12|South by Southwest|2017|10|27|United States}} | runtime = 104 minutes | country = {{Plainlist| * United States * Poland }} | language = English | budget = }} '''''Maya Dardel''''' is a 2017 drama film written and directed by Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak, starring Lena Olin, Jordan Gavaris, Alexander Koch, Nathan Keyes, and Rosanna Arquette.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/festivals/sxsw-ansel-elgorts-baby-driver-world-premiere-1201974426/|website=Variety|title=SXSW Film Festival Announces 2017 Lineup}}</ref>
It premiered in the Narrative Competition at the 2017 South by Southwest Film Festival and was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Orion Pictures.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/maya-dardel-movie-lena-olin-samuel-goldwyn-orion-sxsw-1202118266/|title=Samuel Goldwyn & Orion Acquire SXSW Pic 'Maya Dardel'}}</ref>
==Plot== The film portrays the final weeks leading to the ambiguous disappearance of Maya Dardel, an internationally respected poet and novelist of Scandinavian origins, who has been living as a recluse for decades high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Maya announces on National Public Radio that she intends to end her life and that young male writers may compete to become executor of her estate. Men drive up the mountain and are challenged intellectually, emotionally, and erotically, until one of them begins to fathom Maya's end game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.winterfilmcompany.com/synopsis/|website=The Winter Film Company|title=Maya Dardel Synopsis}}</ref>
==Cast== * Lena Olin as Maya * Alexander Koch as Paul * Nathan Keyes as Ansel * Jordan Gavaris C Kevin * Rosanna Arquette as Leonora
==Reception== <!--{{As of|September 2025}}-->{{RT prose|score=60 |count=15 |average=|4=|ref=yes|access-date=September 9, 2025}} {{Metacritic film prose|score=53|count=8|ref=yes|access-date=September 9, 2025}}
==Accolades== Cotler and Zyzak received Best Director for ''Maya Dardel'' at the 2017 Raindance Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raindance.org/award-winners-raindance-film-festival-2017/|publisher=Raindance|title=Cotler and Zyzak win Best Director.}}</ref>
The film won two awards at the 2017 Prague Independent Film Festival as Best Screenplay and Best Actress (Lena Olin).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prague.tv/en/s72/c8-Cinema/n10429-Train-Driver-s-Diary-wins-at-Prague-Independent-Film-Festival|publisher=Prague TV|title=Train Driver's Diary wins at Prague Independent Film Festival}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prague-film-festival.com/winners-2017.html|publisher=PIFF|title= PIFF 2017 Winners}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|tt6218440}}
Category:2017 films Category:American independent films Category:2017 drama films Category:American drama films Category:Films about poets Category:2017 English-language films Category:2017 American films Category:English-language drama films
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