‘Song Of Lahore’ Trailer: Take Five For Politcial-Musical Documentary

“Take Five” is among the most instantly recognizable melodies in all of jazz, but have you ever heard it interpreted via sitar and tabla? If not, you’ve come to the right film. Here’s the official trailer for Song Of Lahore, a music-melding documentary that premiered at Tribeca. “For at least a thousand years,” we hear at the outset, “Lahore was one of the great art centers. But ever since the Taliban arrived, music has collapsed. … We were losing our culture. Something had to be done about it.” And what this group of unlikely jazz musicians did was create a unique sound that got the attention of music lovers not just in Pakistan but around the world.

Directed by Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Saving Face) and Andy Schocken, the docu follows the Sachal Jazz Ensemble to a surprise gig with Wynton Marsalis at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. It looks at the rehearsals with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as the intercontinental collaboration is forged, culminating with the invigorating concert. “Jazz came from people who were all persecuted,” Marsalis says. “It’s very important to show the type of basic humanity that we share.”

Broad Green Pictures opens Song Of Lahore  in theaters November 13. Inspirational quote: “We will show the world that Pakistanis are artists, not terrorists.”