 Maïga was nominated for a César Award for Most Promising Actress for her role in Abderrahmane Sissako’s Malian drama "Bamako" (2006) and became the first French actress of African descent to ever receive a nomination, thereby becoming the most visible black actress working in France.That same year, an anthology film called Paris, je t’aime (2006) was also premiered at Cannes and Maïga was the female lead in the short film directed by South African filmmaker Oliver Schmitz.Maïga was joined on the Cannes red carpet by Oliver Schmitz and producer Danny Glover.