Two very different women strike up an unlikely friendship in this independent drama from first-time director Jasmine McGlade Chazelle. Ana (Judy Marte) is on emotionally shaky ground after helping her mother through the last few months of her life. Ana has broken ties with her father after learning that he was unfaithful to her mom, and in her search for emotional support she eagerly enters into a new romance with Ben (Brian Rieger) and reconnects with her half-sister Grace (Lauren Fales). But Ana still feels the need to reach out to others, and when she crosses paths with an eccentric older woman, Maria (Karen Black), she tries to help her. While Ana initially imagined Maria was homeless, it turns out that she's actually an obsessive hoarder whose behavior has led her family to turn their backs on her. As Ana becomes closer to the strong-willed Maria, she begins to re-examine her relationship with her own family as she better understands her new friend. Maria My Love received its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi