WATCH | First trailer for controversial rapper M.I.A.'s doccie released

A first trailer has been released for the M.I.A. documentary MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A which premiered at this year's Sundance Festival and is set for theatrical release this year.

Chronicling rapper M.I.A.'s journey from refugee immigrant to pop star, the film traces her roots in Sri Lanka, where "Matangi" was the daughter of a founding member of Sri Lanka's Tamil resistance. She later fled with her family to the UK, where she became known as "Maya" and was a precocious London teenager.

WATCH | The trailer for MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A

It was as "M.I.A." that she later emerged on the global stage, creating an identity for herself that blended "Tamil politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering, ultra-confident voice of a burgeoning multicultural youth."

The film likewise provides access to the artist as she battles with the music industry and mainstream media in the midst of exploding success.

MATANGI/MAYA/M.I.A will be in UK and US theatres in late September; other international releases still to be announced.