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Jaya

It is a rare blessing to meet someone filled with such joy, kindness and inspiration that they leave such a mark on you and your life is changed forever.

72 year old Malaysian/Canadian Jaya Krishnan is someone who found his talent and his calling through extraordinary circumstances. It is a story of an immigrant in Canada who found love, success and a family. It is a story of a man who, despite finding a home and comfort in Canada, chooses to give back to those who need it most.

It is a story of unfiltered sharing and joy.

  • Mike McKay
    Director
    Renaissance, Jondachi
  • Mike McKay
    Producer
    Renaissance, Jondachi
  • Jaya Krishnan
    Key Cast
  • Nick Paquette
    Editor
    Renaissance, A Toi Jeddi, Rose
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    50 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    145,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Cambodia, Canada, Malaysia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mike McKay

Mike grew up as an adopted child in Southwestern Ontario. At an early age he was aware of his biological identity through the knowledge of his Cree father and Quebecoise mother. As someone bridging multiple worlds of identity, storytelling became a way to see the world from a young age starting with creative writing.

The natural progression into filmmaking took place later in life and is now a second career based out of Western Quebec. This path started with his love for kayaking and exploring rivers around the world telling stories of river conservation. From there he was able to leverage his natural ability in the television and documentary world.

In 2016 he made his first short film Jondachi which went on to be seen around the globe winning awards in its wake. This was followed up with the award winning Renaissance in 2022 after 6 years of working in various capacities and gaining valuable experiences in the film industry. Highlights include documentary work with TSN, APTN series Pulse, and work on the NBC Sports series Journey to the Hammers.

From there Mike has gone on to create the series pilot for an upcoming project named The Suffer Factor and the completion of his first feature documentary Jaya while continuing to work for NPOs such as CPAWS, Ottawa Riverkeeper, & Watersheds Canada.

Mike leads an active lifestyle and is fascinated by all the wonderful stories around him. Currently Mike is working on a feature documentary with the working title Pinock telling the story of the impact a birch bark canoe can have on a culture.

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Director Statement

I am very proud to present this film after many years of work to bring this story to life. Jaya and his story has touched and inspired me in so many ways.