Maya Theresia, Janna Kyllästinen
Check out the full interview with Maya and Janna below...
Maya: As a scientist of Hindu-heritage, I have often pondered the meaning of my name, Maya – cosmic illusion – and the disconnect between the reality science describes and that which we can perceive. The concept of Noumenon is inspired by my tenure studying sensory circuits in the brain at NYU, as well as my desire to blend the ancient thought of my culture and modern neuroscience to inspire creative curiosity. Together, Janna and I created Noumenon – experimenting with mythology and scientific theory, form and process, and inspiring the audience to wonder about our ability to perceive an objective reality.
Janna: Noumenon was born out of a truly wonderful, collaborative process at the Symbiosis film competition of the Science New Wave Film Festival in New York. In addition to our collaboration, we built strong partnerships between all the scientists, performers and creative partners we worked with. Each person brought a unique perspective to create something we hope will inspire our audiences and spark more conversations.
Maya: Born in the States and raised in Australia, I am of Indian-Guyanese, African-American and Bavarian descent. The majority of my core memories are of watching movies and TV shows. I love the craft of storytelling. From watching Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I was easily lost in the world on screen. As I cultivated my artistic skills, I earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, before completing my post-baccalaureate training at NYU. Currently, I work as a neuroscience researcher in the biotech industry.
Janna: I’m a documentary filmmaker originally from Finland. My work often focuses on topics that revolve around myth and memory, art and science, and involve experimental visual and narrative forms and techniques. I vividly remember the first time I was in a cinema at age 5, and still love to experience good films in a theater.
Janna: I admire and feel inspired by so many filmmakers… One of the most influential documentary films for me has been Nostalgia for the Light by Patricio Guzmán.
Maya: I am inspired by a myriad of wonderful works by various filmmakers, all for different reasons. I was particularly inspired by Guillermo del Toro for Pam’s Labyrinth, Karan Johar for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Christopher Nolan for Inception, and Taika Waititi for Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Maya: For so long I didn’t dare to dream that I could make films. Not until I took a film class at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts did I finally commit to studying the craft. I feel called to use the power of storytelling to open minds and inspire connections.
Janna: There was no real eureka moment for me. But film is such a wonderful, multifaceted medium, and it continues to be my favorite language to tell stories with.
Janna: We created Noumenon within a short film competition which pairs a scientist and a filmmaker to create an original short film in one week, so it was a huge challenge to begin with. But obstructions are also incredibly beneficial for the creative process – helping to overcome creative paralysis. We worked so seamlessly together as a team it was kind of shocking how effortless it all felt in the end.
Maya: I agree with everything Janna said. Definitely shocking to pull off the production of Noumenon in one week. So many things had to line up and so many things did go wrong. Creativity is best under restrictions and the obstacles really brought the experimental process associated with science into the artistic process. Often Janna and I would repeat the mantra “we can do hard things” together. And we did.
Maya: Producing Noumenon was an incredibly challenging yet rewarding experience. The logistics of this production was made possible by all the amazing artists and scientists who connected with our vision. Janna and I reached out to many collaborators, acquired permission from NYU to shoot in the Center for Neural Science, as well as gathered musicians to improvise an original score over a rough edit of the film. Throughout the week, our motto became “seek no’s.” Janna and I sought a lot of no’s and received a lot of yes’s.
Janna: Because of our time and budget constraints, we got incredibly creative through every stage of the process. We also cast a wide net for collaborators and luckily found so many who wanted to help – something about the story and theme really resonated with people.
“Noumenon combines science, spirituality and culture through flowing movements and striking overlays that juxtapose these concepts in new ways. Beautifully shot and narrated, this immersive film invites us to consider the connections between perception and reality. Between experiment and performance. Between science, story, and art.”
– Symbiosis Film Jury, Science New Wave Festival XVII 2024
Maya: For me, staying authentic to the story for the specific film will define the style. I believe filmmakers should be authentic to themselves and do what they feel is right for their story.
Janna: Each filmmaker luckily gets to choose freely. Usually a mix of something old, something new feels good to me.
Maya and Janna: It’s wonderful to participate in film festivals, meet other filmmakers and share the film with diverse audiences. It is a lot of work to get an independent short film out into the world, and finding the right festival is crucial.
Maya and Janna: To keep making films, telling stories, and having fun in the process.

Thank you for this inspiring interview and for taking the time to honestly answer all the questions. The BIA team wishes you great success with your next projects!