Mariam Makhieva is a director of documentary and narrative films originally from Kabardino-Balkaria, a mountainous region in the North Caucasus. She spent over a decade in Saint Petersburg, and in 2023, she relocated to France, marking a new chapter in her personal and creative life.
Her work focuses on social themes: justice, women’s rights, human rights, science, and the role of knowledge in shaping society. She is a nine-time Best Documentary Feature winner, with 12 documentary works, including three feature-length films. Several of her projects have been produced in collaboration with independent production companies.
Mariam combines a strong authorial voice with hands-on experience in research, writing, cinematography, and editing, while thriving in collaborative creative environments. She is currently developing new international projects and actively seeking co-productions and partnerships that share her values and artistic vision.
She believes in science and a scientific approach and wants to share what is important to her and many others. To share the magic and beauty of reality, the stories of people, and to feel unity in the beautiful things that make us human. Humanity, consciousness, and our desire to understand ourselves and the world are the most powerful and moving forces she seeks to explore through cinema.
Filmography:
Across Dark Matter — documentary film, 2024
screenwriter, director, video editor
Gorky Film Studio
Goryankу — documentary film, 2020
screenwriter, director, video editor
Gorky Film Studio
In Subway Together — documentary film, 2017
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
project “Signs of Life” by Radio Liberty
The new HDD of Misha Bo — documentary film, 2017
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
project “Signs of Life” by Radio Liberty
Actress from Serov — documentary film, 2017
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
project “Signs of Life” by Radio Liberty
Neutrinos and Andyrtau — documentary film, 2015
director, screenwriter, video editor
They went dancing — documentary film, 2014
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
Mr. Pejo wandering dolls — documentary film, 2013
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
Nur — experimental feature film, 2013
director, screenwriter, video editor
Rick — documentary film, 2013
director, camera operator, screenwriter, video editor
Alice in abandoned cities — documentary film, 2012
director, screenwriter, video editor
Education:
2017 — Anna Ganshenaya's scriptwriting course
St. Petersburg School of Television
2016 — five-day course on a documentary film
workshop by Marina Razbezhkina
2015 — workshops on the shooting and development of black and white 16 mm film
workshop by director Victor De Las Era
2014, 2016 — a series of workshops
by Alexander Sokurov
2010-2015 — the specialist program of «Directing film and television»
curated by Valery Obogrelov
St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television
Selected Projects:
2013-2016 — director and camera operator on movies about filming
Babie leto, directed by Dmitriy Svetozarov
Kharms, directed by Ivan Bolotnikov
Proline Film
2013 — PR coordinator
Message to Man International Film Festival
2015 — assistant director and script supervisor
Shadow, directed by Dmitriy Svetozarov
ACDC Film Company
2016 — assistant director for actors, photographer
Vyzhit Lyuboy Tcenoi, directed by Bogdan Drobyazko
3xmedia film company
2018 — assistant director for actors
White Nights, directed by Dmitriy Svetozarov
Proline Film
Director, camera operator and video editor of documentary films
the project Signs of Life by Radio Liberty