Mai Benezra is an artist that does not shy away from pushing boundaries– even those of her own body. 

In her original proof of concept film Izzy, Benezra seamlessly moves up and down a pole as the work’s titular character. A viewer might never know that her body tried to stop her from moving like this, considering she suffered a spinal injury just before taking on the role. 

Defying Physical Limits: The Making of "Izzy"

Mai Benezra’s life as an actress and filmmaker roots itself in this art of defying what seems impossible. Even before this feat with “Izzy,” she left Israel for the States to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute when she felt that her career needed to push beyond the boundaries of the only country she’d known since birth. 

Despite moving overseas, her life back in Israel did not move with her– she was fresh off heartbreak. Instead of letting these accumulating struggles of building a new life in New York bring her down, Benezra channeled them when making her art. 

“I was still healing and coping with it and acting helped me express it and explore what I was feeling,” she says. 

Channeling Heartbreak into Creative Expression

Tangible evidence of this reality is her ability to channel this experience into her debut self-written short film, “Feel.” The piece explores what it means to choose to feel and accept one’s own emotions, and ultimately journey towards healing. Though an actress by trade, Benezra understands the value that shaping these personal stories through original films holds for her acting. 

“My work as a filmmaker helped me stand out to directors as an actor,” Benezra says.

Since the success of her first piece, Benezra wrote, directed, and acted in three short films, landing both the Best Actress and Rising Star awards at the Brightside Film Festival. Benezra also has a hand in features, such as Eric Rivas’ “Scarface Resurrection” (formerly “The Brooklyn Premiere”) a film that also features the late Angel Salazar.  

Her recent original film, “Izzy,” which Benezra wrote, directed, and starred in, draws on themes of all these experiences. Her main character pushes boundaries just like she does, starting work as a stripper to push through financial strain after her mother’s illness. 

Yet, as she created the film, Benezra was the one who struggled physically. Amidst moving apartments, stage combat training, and dancing multiple times a week, her physical ailments took a serious turn.

“My body was slowly calling for help, until I completely couldn’t function anymore, and had to stop. And I stopped all activity for a few months, including pole dance,” she says.

The Body as Inspiration: Finding Strength in Vulnerability

The unfortunate result of her resilience was her body’s physical breakdown.

"I discovered an injury that affected my overall movement and alignment" she says.

For a few months, doing any physical activity felt painful– even walking. After 7 long months of perseverance in physiotherapy, she found herself able to get back on the pole. She was not only acting again, but also channeling her own battle with her body in “Izzy.” 

Blurring the Lines: Art Without Limits

The very parts of her body that betrayed her became the impetus for how the main character in her film escapes her own pain. 

This is the type of boundary that Benezra blurs when engaging with her art– there is no pole too painful to climb, character too far from her reach, or boundary too difficult to push. 

“I really wanted to focus on bringing myself to the character– on being present,” she says.