Synopsis

The ancient city of Lahore was once the center of Pakistan’s thriving film-music recording industry, but that came to an end in the late 1970s under the conservative Islamist rule of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Under the repressive regime, entire families of musicians suddenly found themselves unemployable and the art form they had built their lives around banned. They were forced to meet behind closed doors, quietly continuing the centuries-old practice of passing down ancient musical traditions from one generation to the next. In 2004, with government restrictions against music easing, businessman Izzat Majeed founded the Sachal Studios Orchestra and encouraged the group to combine classical Pakistani instruments and techniques with the American jazz he had fallen in love with in the 1950s. Their innovative versions of jazz standards, most notably Dave Brubeck’s iconic “Take Five,” made the orchestra a surprise Internet phenomenon, earning international acclaim and an invitation to perform at Lincoln Center with jazz great Wynton Marsalis and his band. Obaid-Chinoy and Schocken follow the ensemble on an inspiring journey as they struggle to adapt to the unfamiliar strictures of Western music and restore Pakistan’s venerable musical traditions.

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