[1] Pia Marais was born in Johannesburg to a Swedish mother and South African father.

[2] Marais directed four short films at the start of her career: Loop (1996), Deranged (1998), Tricky People (1999), and 17 (2003).

[1] The Unpolished, Marais' semi-autobiographical feature directorial debut, premiered at the 2007 International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won a Tiger Award.

[3] Her 2010 feature film, At Ellen's Age, starred Jeanne Balibar as a woman who roams the world after abandoning her former life.

[6] Marais' third feature film, the South Africa-set thriller Layla Fourie about a young mother confronting her guilt after a hit and run accident, premiered at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival in 2013, where it was recognized with a special mention by the international jury.