Notes from a strained neighbourhood

Lyari Notes, is an English/Hindi documentary set in Lyari, a troubled Karachi neighbourhood where a rock star teaches music to girls against all odds even as fundamentalists oppose or torch all forms of learning.

Lyari Notes at Jus' Trufs

This fascinating story of musician Hamza Jafri is a cross-border collaborative effort between a producer in amchi Mumbai and her counterpart in Karachi who battled even more adds to bring this story alive on screen.

The three-year effort by Miriam Chandy Menacherry in Mumbai and Maheen Zia in Karachi culminated in Lyari Notes that captures Hamza Jafri’s journey to teach a group of girls to express themselves between cycles of violence in Karachi’s most volatile district.

Directors of Lyari Notes

 Jafri, known for his hard hitting political lyrics since the 1990’s, now sees a different landscape between 2012-2015 when the film was shot, as the rise of fundamentalism has resulted in music shops being torched, concerts bombed and practitioners of music threatened with death.

But, the shrinking space makes Hamza open a music school (called MAD – which stands for Music, Arts and Dance) where Lyari Notes becomes the narrative of four young girls who learn to express themselves.

Watch the movie trailer video 

Come and watch the beautiful story unfold at Jus’ Trufs, Jakkur.

The film is an intimate journey of four best friends as they learn to express themselves through music. Throughout the film we see the girls overcoming personal tragedy, deep rooted fears and family opposition. Amidst violence and curfews because of extremist attacks, the girls’ travel to their classes every week as they prepare for a grand show.

Through the lives of Hamza Jafri and his students, Lyari Notes provides an insight in to just what it takes to have a voice in a country where self expression and music is often drowned out by cycles of violence. 

More importantly, the collaboration between the two women across the borders deserves appreciation. Maheen and Miriam had never met before agreeing to collaborate till the project was selected as one among 16 at the IDFA Summer School 2013 in Amsterdam. Till then, the duo met on Skype, over internet and used technology to film in Karachi and edit in Mumbai. 

The documentary will be screened on Friday, May 20 and Saturday May 21, at 8 pm on both the days. The duration of the film is 80 minutes.

The film had a world premiere in Amsterdam at the November 2015 International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam and also premiered in the 2016 Mumbai International Film Festival in the international competition category this February. Last month in April, the documentary was screened in Austin, US, at the Indie Meme International Film Festival.

Ticket Rates: Rs.300. Also available at the venue.

To book now, https://www.eventshigh.com/detail/Bangalore/5ac5cab386e691a5a00888c121af79d6-lyari-notes?src=stream