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The Second Floor
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t2f events
Bhuli Hui Hoon Daastan - A Film by Adnan Malik
The Lahore film industry, Lollywood, has reflected and adapted to the changing moods in Pakistan’s socio-politico-cultural sphere over its tumultuous history. It has morphed from the sole source of family entertainment that unified the classes, into a stigmatized sex and violence industry that caters specifically to the tastes of a small population of the working class. In a slightly camp and overtly analytical style, this comprehensive documentary reconstructs the demise of Lollywood, and deconstructs the various forces that have sidelined the culture of cinema in Pakistan today. A first of its kind documentary, Bhuli Hui Hoon Daastan, is a tribute to the Lollywood film industry.
The screening will be followed by a discussion, focusing on the current state of Pakistani cinema, media education and upcoming films.
Bhuli Hui Hoon Daastan has been screened at The South Asian Film Festival - New York 2005, KARA Film Festival 2004, Bite the Mango Film Festival - Bradford 2005, The Delhi Digital Film Festival 2005, and ‘Pehli Dhahdkan’ Pakistani Film Festival - Glasgow 2005. The film has played at schools and universities across the country and internationally, and recently aired on both Geo and Geo News as part of the ‘Geomentary’ series.
About the Director
Adnan Malik is a Vassar College educated, Karachi based ’slashie’ - a filmmaker/ actor/model. The majority of his work uses pop culture and identity as a point of investigation. He has directed ‘Bijli’, a multi-award winning short film about a Muslim drag queen in New York, ‘The Forgotten Song’, Pakistan’s first feature length documentary on Lollywood, as well as having contributed to films such as the Sundance winning ‘Why We Fight’, and ‘A Jihad for Love’. Adnan has also contributed a film, ‘Telephone Pyaar’, to the 60×60 project organized by MotiRoti, has assisted on a number of music videos and has been on the directing team of ‘The Lux Style Awards’ for the last 4 years. He has also been a member of the organizing committee of ‘The KARA Film Festival’ since 2003.
Bhuli Hui Hoon Daastan (The Forgotten Song)
PAKISTAN / 95 MIN / URDU
CREDITS:
Camera: Najaf Bilgrami
Editing: Adnan Malik, Maheen Zia
Producer: Geo Television
Scripted, Researched and Directed by Adnan Malik
Date: Sunday 13th July, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Minimum Donation: Rs. 50
Venue: The Second Floor (T2F)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Readings by Dr. Shershah Syed
Join us on Thursday for readings and a discussion with Dr. Shershah Syed
Date: 10th July 2008 | Time: 7:30 pm
Distinguished surgeon and social activist, Dr. Shershah Syed, has turned to the short story with a unique passion. Six collections of stories have won him strong reviews from leading writers and the admiration of many readers.
When Dr Shershah Syed is not in his doctor’s gown or sitting with friends, or off on a marathon or cycling, or even writing short stories, he’s busy taking the government to task and speaking his mind on the high level of maternal mortality.
Zofeen T. Ebrahim
This Thursday, Dr. Shershah Syed will read from his new book, Dil Hae Daagh Daagh, followed by a discussion with the audience.
Date: Thursday 10th July, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support the PeaceNiche platform for open dialogue and creative expression generously.
Venue: The Second Floor (T2F)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Yaad-e-Ayyaam featuring Dr. Aslam Farrukhi
Join us at T2F as Dr. Aslam Farrukhi takes a walk down memory lane
Date: 6th July 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Writer and educationist, Dr. Aslam Farrukhi came to Karachi in September 1947. Since then, he has witnessed manifold changes in the city he made his home. Actively involved in the literary scene, he has vivid memories of the many writers and poets who lived here. One of the earliest students of Karachi University, Dr. Farrukhi went back to his alma mater and spent several decades teaching there.
The author of a number of books, Dr. Farrukhi will walk down memory lane this Sunday, recalling the changing face of the city of Karachi and its writers.
Date: Sunday 6th July, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support the PeaceNiche platform for open dialogue and creative expression generously.
Venue: The Second Floor (T2F)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
My Animus in Dreams - An Exhibition by Zaina Anwar
Zaina Anwar is a self-taught artist and was exposed to drawing and etching at a very early age, thanks to her maternal grandfather who was also an artist. Inspired by the theories of Carl Jung and the philosophy of Nietzsche, Zaina’s artistic influences range from Egon Schiele to Miro. She is fascinated with Jung’s concept of the connection between art and the unconscious, and her own work is a perpetual visiting and revisiting of the symbolic world of her unconscious mind. Faces are ubiquitous in Zaina’s work, especially the eyes, which she believes are windows to the soul.
Helvetica - A ‘Must-See’ Film About Visual Culture
An independent film about typography,
graphic design and global visual culture
Date: 27 June 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Helvetica, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit, looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives.
The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day.
Date: Friday 27th June, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Minimum Donation: Rs. 50
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Rock Concert Featuring 7 on 3rd w F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
In the summer of 2004, seven people got together for a jam session on the third floor of a building. A new underground band was born!
7 on 3rd features:
Jaffar Hashim - Guitars
Gibran Nasir - Vocals
Aasim Karim Faruqui - Guitars
Daniel Panjwaneey - Bass
Ahmed Mohammad - Drums
Samar Syed and Shami will join 7 on 3rd for a live performance of rock covers at T2F on June 25th 2008.
Date: Wednesday 25th June, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Minimum Donation: Rs. 200
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
An Evening With Mohammed Hanif, Author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes
There is an ancient saying that when lovers fall out, a plane goes down. A Case of Exploding Mangoes is the story of one such plane. Why did a Hercules C130, the world’s sturdiest plane, carrying Pakistan’s military dictator General Zia ul Haq, go down on 17 August, 1988?
Teasing, provocative, and very funny, Mohammed Hanif’s debut novel takes one of the subcontinent’s enduring mysteries and out of it, spins a tale as rich and colourful as a beggar’s dream.
According to Mohsin Hamid, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, is “one of the most important Pakistani novels of recent times, unputdownable and darkly hilarious. Mohammed Hanif is a brave, gifted writer. He has taken territory in desperate need of satire - General Zia, the military, Pakistan at the time of the Soviet-Afghan war - and made it undeniably his own.”
Mohammed Hanif was born in Okara, Pakistan. He graduated from the Pakistan Air Force Academy as a Pilot Officer but subsequently left to pursue a career in journalism. He has worked for Newsline, India Today and The Washington Post. He has written plays for the stage and the critically acclaimed BBC drama, What Now, Now That We Are Dead? His feature film, The Long Night has been shown at film festivals around the world. He is a graduate of University of East Anglia’s creative writing programme. Mohammad Hanif is currently head of BBC’s Urdu Service and lives in London.
Date: Sunday 22nd May, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
In Their Own Voice: Zehra Nigah
An Evening of Readings and Recollections Featuring Zehra Nigah
Date: 18th June 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Zehra Nigah is one of Pakistan’s most prominent and loved poets. She appeared on the literary horizon as a child prodigy in the 1950s and has consistently been hailed as the one voice worth listening to on the mushaeraa circuit.
Zehra Nigah views life around her through the eyes of a woman but her concerns are not those of a woman alone. She speaks in a woman’s tongue, using feminine imagery and idiom to make powerful social and political commentary. She has alluded to the bitter war that culminated in the creation of Bangladesh as well as the heart-rending situation in Afghanistan. She has written of the repressive Hudood Ordinances introduced during General Zia’s oppressive regime and also about love, friendship and small everyday joys and sorrows.
Zehra Nigah has published two volumes of poetry, Shaam ka Pehla Taara and Waraq. She says she has never felt the urge to be prolific, to write when there is nothing to say. Yet every word that emerges from her pen, every syllable that she speaks, carries the spark of a luminous intelligence. (Some excerpts from the Hindu Literary Review)
We are especially honored to host Zehra Nigah at The Second Floor this Wednesday and look forward to a memorable evening of poetry and anecdotes.
Date: Wednesday 18th June, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Partition Stories
Join us at T2F for readings by Asif Farrukhi, Zaheer Kidvai,
and Nuzhat Kidvai
Date: 16th June 2008 | Time: 6:00 pm
Zaheer Kidvai will read a story about the pre-partition relationship between Hindus and Muslims. It was written 20 years before partition by his father, Azhar Kidvai.
Asif Farrukhi, who attributes his vivid memories of partition to the fact that he was born after it, will read two of his own stories that deal with post-partition scenarios.
These stories will be separated by excerpts from Manto’s classic book of vignettes, Siyaah Haashiyay, read by Nuzhat Kidvai.
Date: Sunday 16th June, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support the PeaceNiche platform for open dialogue and creative expression generously.
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Cinema for Change: The 11th Hour
“If Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth was a warning,
The 11th Hour is the red alert.”
Date: 14th June 2008 | Time: 6:30 pm
Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour is a feature length documentary about the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet.
The 11th Hour is the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how we’ve arrived at this moment - how we live, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who discuss the most important issues that face our planet and people.
However, the most powerful element of The 11th Hour is not a portrait of a planet in crisis, but the offering of hope and solutions. Scientists and environmental advocates such as David Orr and Gloria Flora paint a portrait for a radically new and exciting future in which humanity seeks not to dominate the earth’s life systems, but to mimic them and coexist. The 11th Hour calls for a future now within our grasp that is both sustainable and healthier.
Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IBG2V98IBY
Special guests from DEAL Pakistan, the official consultants for Shanghai Shen Gong Environmental Protection Company and architects of the anti-littering campaign Don’t Mess with Karachi will facilitate a discussion on what the future of Pakistan looks like in terms of renewable energies, recycling and waste management.
Our radio partner for this event is Radio 1 FM 91. Thank you for doing your bit to raise awareness about the environmental crisis.
Date: Saturday 14th June, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support the PeaceNiche platform for open dialogue and creative expression generously.
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
An Evening with Salima Hashmi
Date: 13th June 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
This Friday the 13th, Salima Hashmi will regale us with tales ranging from her early years and the two men in her life, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Shoaib Hashmi, to her work in comedy. And on a more serious note, Salima will show a slideshow of her work and also discuss the crucial significance of art education.
Salima Hashmi is one of Pakistan’s most well-known and accomplished artists. She studied in the United Kingdom and the United States, receiving a diploma in Art Education from Bristol University in the UK and a Masters in Art Education from the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. Salima taught at Pakistan’s prestigious National College of Arts (NCA) for thirty years and was the Principal of NCA for four years. In 1999, she received Pakistan’s Pride of Performance award. Salima is now the Dean of the School of Visual Arts at the recently established Beaconhouse National University in Lahore and also runs her own art gallery featuring works of young artists.
Salima comes from a socially and politically active family. Her father was the legendary Pakistani poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and her mother, the British-born Alys Faiz was a respected journalist and peace activist in Pakistan. One of two daughters, Salima was always active in the arts, performing in plays before taking on painting professionally. Salima Hashmi has also been active in the human rights movement since the early 80s when she was one of the founding members of Women’s Action Forum, an organization dedicated to promoting women’s rights.
Date: Friday, 13th June, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Anything you like. Please support the PeaceNiche platform for open dialogue and creative expression generously.
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Upcoming Events in June
An Evening With Salima Hashmi
Friday 13th June 2008 | 7:00 pm
Cinema for Change: The 11th Hour
Saturday 14th June 2008 | 6:30 pm
Partition Stories: Readings by Asif Farrukhi and Zaheer A. Kidvai
Sunday 15th June 2008 | 6:00 pm
An Evening of Readings and Recollections by Zehra Nigah
Wednesday 18th June 2008 | 7:00 pm
In Their Own Voice: An Evening with Mohammad Hanif - Author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Sunday 22nd June 2008 | 6:00 pm
Helvetica: A Film about Typography, Graphic Design and Global Visual Culture
Friday 27th June 2008 | 6:30 pm
4 Acoustic Performances
Join us this Thursday for a live set of acoustic performances
Date: 5th June 2008 | Time: 7:30 pm
Omar Bilal Akhtar is the frontman for one of Karachi’s most prolific live acts, The Aunty Disco Project (ADP). Omar has played numerous sold out shows in the city with ADP and has recently released their eponymous debut album. ADP have released two music videos on national music channels, and are scheduled to release a new video for their current single Nazar sometime next month. Despite all his success, Omar refuses to conform and sign up for a gmail account.
Ali Alam is a singer-songwriter. Formerly the lead singer/founder of the band Ganda Banda and the 3D Cats, Ali has also played guitars with the Strings, live acts in Pakistan, and abroad. Ali also hosts a weekly radio show called Musicology on City FM89. Currently, he is working on his first solo album and has recently hired manager, Shama Mohammed. Although there were expectations that his career would skyrocket as a result, it has yet to happen.
Miqdad Mohammed is a talented multi-instrumentalist. He has played the saxophone for various live acts in the city and is an accomplished singer-songwriter in his own right. He shall be featuring some of his originals at the show along with some popular covers.This will be Miqdad’s first solo performance in the city since he started wearing spectacles.
Jahanzeb Sherwani co-founded the LUMS Music Society and has performed with various bands, including Beetlejuice, Euphoria, and Once. Recently Jahanzeb started an American-desi band called Gulab-Jammin’ while a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon. Please visit www.touchpadpro.com for more information about something totally unrelated.
Date: Thursday 5th June, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Minimum Donation: Rs. 200 [Omar, Ali, Miqdad, and Jahanzeb are donating all proceeds to PeaceNiche 
Thank you!]
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
In Their Own Voice - Fawzia Afzal-Khan
An evening of readings and music videos
Date: 1st June 2008 | Time: 6:00 pm
Fawzia Afzal-Khan will read a chapter from her recently-completed memoir, Sahelian: Growing Up with Girlfriends Pakistani-Style.
The memoir charts the protagonist’s adolescent and mature years, criss-crossing with the lives and experiences of her “best” friends in 1970s Lahore, and again, much later, during visits “back home” from the USA. The recollections and continued interaction with her old Pakistani friends who have stayed behind in a monocultural society, prompt complex emotions and analyses of life’s possibilities and limitations. Further complications are caused by her position as a woman of Pakistani Muslim background living in the USA. A complex tapestry of a coming-of-age narrative, the memoir is a paean to the pleasures and the pains of friendship amongst women.
After the readings, Fawzia will present two short music videos, Smokescreen and Sacrifice.
Fawzia Afzal-Khan is Full Professor of English at Montclair State University in New Jersey, USA. She is the author of two books, Cultural Imperialism and the Indo-English Novel (1993) and A Critical Stage: Secular Alternative Theatre in Pakistan (2005), Editor of the best-selling anthology, Shattering the Stereotypes: Muslim Women Speak Out (2005), and co-editor of The Pre-Occupation of Post-Colonial Studies (2000).
A frequent contributer to Counterpunch, Fawzia has written and published numerous scholarly and journalistic essays on feminist theory, postcolonialism and theatre and performance in Pakistan, as well as women and Islam. She is trained singer in the North Indian Classical tradition, and performs with her band, Neither East Nor West in and around NYC, and is a founding member of the international experimental theater collective, Compagnie Faim de Siecle. She is beginning work on a new cultural studies project with co-author Sajid Iqbal, focusing on the life and times of the world-renowned Pakistani singer, the late Madame Noorjehan. Fawzia is currently editing A Monsoon Symphony: The Best of Pakistani English Literature for Oxford University Press, and splits her time between Lahore and New Jersey.
Date: Sunday 1st June, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Nadeem Chawhan - Live at The Second Floor
Date: 28th May 2008 | Time: 7:30 pm
A parasite is an organism that attaches itself to a host, and keeps feeding and growing until the host dies. According to Nadeem Chawhan, humans are akin to parasites, nibbling away at mother earth. He reckons that we are our own worst enemies and consistently act against our interests.
Nadeem Chawhan loves talking so much that he has made a profession out of it. He is a motivational speaker and is coming to The Second Floor this Wednesday to talk about the real threat to humanity, and his ideas for survival.
Nadeem will be joined by Sarmad Tariq, a quadriplegic who helps individuals overcome limitations. In 2004, Sarmad created a world record by driving 1,847 km, non-stop for 33 hours, from Khyber to Karachi. He is the first Pakistani wheelchair-bound athlete to have completed the Lahore Marathon, and also represented Pakistan in the New York City Marathon in 2005.
This event is brought to you by Inspiratorium / Navitus.
Date: Wednesday 28th May, 2008
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Personal Narratives: An Interior Architect Turned Jewelry Designer
Join us for a session of story-telling featuring Amber Sami
Date: 18th May 2008 | Time: 6:00 pm
Amber learnt the value of culture and heritage from her experiences in New York City. Trained at the Parsons School of Design as an Interior Architect, she spent 10 years experiencing sights, sounds, and textures from all over the world - from the costumes worn by icons of another century, to Tibetans hats, to the Nizam of Hyderabad’s jewels.
After returning to Pakistan, Amber started an interior architecture company and proceeded to get burnt out, catering to the whims and fancies of rich clients. Bored and uninspired, she embarked on a journey in search of something that would re-ignite her spirit. Traveling into the heart of Southern Punjab, she discovered untapped treasures of craftsmanship. After serious research, Amber trusted her instincts and began to work on designs of antiquity, using semi-precious stones set in Kundan. Her pre-dominant driving force was to preserve the craft of ancient jewelry and to initiate a revival of sub-continental heritage.
Combining history and art, Amber will share her personal story through conversation and imagery. Her limited edition pieces of jewelry, steeped in sub-continental tradition, will be on display and can also be purchased on Sunday. Prices range from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 35,000.
Amber has graciously agreed to donate a percentage of proceeds to PeaceNiche.
Date: Sunday 18th May, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Join us for an evening of prose and politics featuring Shuja Nawaz, the author of Crossed Swords
Date: 16th May 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Based on 30 years of research and analysis, Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within (Oxford University Press 2008) is a profound, multi-layered, and historical analysis of the nature and role of the Pakistan army in the country’s polity as well as its turbulent relationship with the United States.
Shuja Nawaz examines the army and Pakistan in both peace and war. Using many hitherto unpublished materials from the archives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army, as well as interviews with key military and political figures in Pakistan and the United States, he sheds light not only on the Pakistan Army and its US connections but also on Pakistan as a key Muslim country in one of the world’s toughest neighborhoods.
Shuja Nawaz is a political and strategic analyst, an expert in publishing and communications strategies, training, and an experienced editor. He has also advised governments in Asia and Africa. Shuja Nawaz writes for leading newspapers and The Huffington Post, and speaks on current topics before civic groups, at think tanks, and on radio and television. He also works with RAND, the United States Institute of Peace, and other leading think tanks on projects dealing with Pakistan and the Middle East.
A special edition of Crossed Swords, featuring a free audio CD interview of Shuja Nawaz by Zak, can be purchased from the T2F Bookshop. The author will be briefly available after the session to sign copies of his book.
Date: Friday 16th May, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
T2F Turns 1 - Celebrate With Us on May 15th 2008
11:00 am - 4:00 pm: Second Cup!
Your second cup of coffee is on the house
8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Open Mic Poetry
Emad S. Rahim, a graduate of Northwestern University, has composed “Al-Kahaf: The Cave”, a book written in narrative verse, and a verse drama entitled “The Tragedy of Arazhan”, which is to be staged in Karachi this summer. Emad will read from his works and other brave souls are invited to step up to the mike and share some original poetry.
10:00 pm - 11:00 pm: Live Music Featuring [NO IDEA]
T2F’s House Band promises an all new line-up of songs and a special surprise!
Date: Thursday 15th May, 2008
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
An Evening With Intizar Hussain
Join us for an evening of readings and conversation with Intizar Hussain
Date: 14th May 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Intizar Husain came into prominence with the upheaval filled days of 1947, as the emergent country of Pakistan was affected by the displacement of people on both sides of the border. These became the themes of Intizar Husain’s early fiction writings and his concern with the destiny of this country has deepened in his subsequent work. Intizar Husain is a well recognized figure on Pakistan’s literary scene and many of his works have been translated into English.
Intizar Husain will read selections from from his work and will answer questions from the audience. The session will be moderated by Asif Farrukhi.
Date: Wednesday 14th May, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Hum Keh Thahray Ajnabi
Join us for an evening of readings and recollections on 1971
Date: 11th May 2008 | Time: 6:00 pm
Pakistan, just 24 years old, was plunged into a major war in 1971. Do we really know what led to its dismemberment and what the “other half” was going through? If textbooks of history in the schools are silent or gloss over the events, can we turn to Pakistan’s writers and poets to discover the truth? While literature focusing on that period abounds from Bangladesh, only a handful of our fiction writers addressed these issues in their works, depicting their versions of the “truth”. But many questions still remain: What do their depictions add up to? How different is their view from what the writers in Bangladesh chose to write about? What can we learn from these stories?
To mark the first birthday of The Second Floor (T2F), a special session of readings and discussion will focus on this critical juncture in the country’s history, which also marks an important and unrecognized crisis in Pakistan’s literature. Intizar Hussain, one of Pakistan’s leading fiction writers and Asad Muhammed Khan, the innovative grandmaster of fiction, will share their experiences and writings about living through and remembering 1971.
Joining them will be Niaz Zaman, Asif Farrukhi, and Saima Hussain. Asif and Niaz have recently published Fault Lines, an anthology in which the two sides - Bangladesh and Pakistan - are brought together, along with writers from India, the USA and the UK, through stories related to the events of 1971. Niaz Zaman is a writer and editor based in Dhaka and Asif Farrukhi writes Karachi and lives in fiction. Saima Hussain is the editor of DAWN’s Books & Authors.
We are grateful to Herbion for making this event possible. Thank You!
Date: Sunday 11th May, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Sunday Matinee / World Laughter Day
What’s Up, Doc?
Date: 4th May 2008 | Time: 3:00 pm
It’s World Laughter Day this Sunday … so a good old screwball comedy is our pick for the week. What’s Up, Doc? fits the bill perfectly. Peter Bogdanovich has achieved a rare treat with this near-slapstick offering: a really well acted comedy!
Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand deliver fascinating performances and Madeline Kahn is unforgettable as Eunice, the controlling, easily-flustered wife. Liam Dunn all but steals the show in a brief appearance as the Judge. Even the minor parts are played perfectly such as those of the scheming hotel manager and house detective. For those who saw “Love Story” there is also a one line spoof to watch out for.
Come and join us for a true rotfl afternoon.
Date: Sunday 4th May, 2008
Time: 3:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Anything you like
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Inertia - Live at T2F
Join us at T2F for an Evening of Underground Music
Date: 30th April 2008 | Time: 9:00 pm
Inertia has been lurking in the shadows since 2004. They kept a low profile and played the school and college circuit for a few years. With an upcoming album, Inertia has now decided to step out into the limelight. The band’s influences range from U2 and AudioSlave to HIM and the Police.
The band’s lineup features:
Abdullah Khan on Lead vocals
Khurram Maqbool on Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals
Wasiq Khan on Bass and Backing Vocals
Saqib Khan on Drums and Percussion
Date: Wednesday 30th April, 2008
Time: 9:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 150
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
World Dance Day
Celebrate World Dance Day with Sheema Kermani
Date: 29th April 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
World Dance Day is observed all over the world on 29th April to pay tribute to one of the oldest art forms. Join us at T2F on Tuesday as we celebrate the Power of Dance with Sheema Kermani.
Sheema Kermani, a leading Pakistani classical dancer, will explore the origins of dance and the similarities and differences inherent in various styles of dance. Through a lecture-demonstration, Sheema aims to create understanding and awareness about dance as an art form and its crucial significance for the well-being of our society.
Date: Tuesday 29th April, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
Sunday Matinee Screening
Summer of My German Soldier
Date: 27th April 2008 | Time: 3:00 pm
Patty Bergen is a lovable yet vulnerable twelve-year-old girl living in a small Arkansas town during World War II. Although she is Jewish, Patty opens her heart to a German POW imprisoned in her town. As her relationship with Anton deepens, Patty risks losing her family and friends, and possibly even her freedom.
This powerful and moving made-for-TV 1978 film, with its uncompromising ending and Kristy Nichols’s superb acting, won several awards, including the Emmy.
Likened to the classic, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Bette Greene’s sensitive book and this must-see film are ’standards’, taught and screened at many schools and used in workshops to highlight issues of stereo-typing, intolerance, and family dynamics.
Running Time: 100 minutes
Date: Sunday 27th April, 2008
Time: 3:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Anything you like
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
A Weekend of Culture Jamming, Music and Movies
Compelling Conversations: The Manufacture of Consent
Date: 18th April 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
The dominant public role of our time has shifted from citizen to consumer. Respondents in polls typically cite entertainment, shopping, and other consumer activities as their top free time preferences. Advertising creates environments carefully constructed to avoid politics and real world problems that might disturb these consumer impulses.
Join us this Friday for short films and graphic design that examine the dangers inherent in an industry that has forgotten the difference between the public good and the bottom line.
The work of Rabeea Arif, a Karachi-based graphic design graduate of Karachi University, will be on display.
Date: Friday, 18th April 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Gurus Trilogy Live at The Second Floor
Date: 19th April 2008 | Time: 9:00 pm
This Saturday, join us at T2F for a performance by Gurus Trilogy. The lineup features:
Glenn John on Vocals
Mohsin Shehbaz on Keyboards
Sayyam Rana on Guitar
Yasir Ijaz on Bass
The show, which will be opened by Gunnah, features two special guests:
Alfred D’Melo of Mizmaar on Drums
Shehzad Naseem of Mizraab on Rhythm Guitar
Date: Saturday, 19th April 2008
Time: 9:00 pm
Minimum Donation: Rs. 200
Sunday Screenings at The Second Floor: HAIR
Date: 20th April 2008 | Time: 3:00 pm
HAIR is a 1979 film based on the 1968 Broadway musical of the same name about a Vietnam war draftee who meets and befriends a tribe of long-haired hippies on his way to the army induction center. Directed by Miloš Forman, the musical tells the story of a group of politically active, long-haired “Hippies of the Age of Aquarius” fighting against conscription to the Vietnam War and living a bohemian life together in New York City. They struggle to balance their young lives, loves and the sexual revolution with their pacifist rebellion against the war and the conservative impulses of their parents and society.
Running Time: 121 Minutes
Date: Sunday, 20th April 2008
Time: 3:00 pm
Minimum Donation: Anything you like
Upcoming Events [April - May 2008]
Graphic Design Exhibition: Is Your Identity Your Own?
[Thu 17 April 2008]
Music Gig featuring Gurus Trilogy
[Sat 19 April 2008]
Sunday Matinee Screenings at The Second Floor 01: Hair - The Musical
[Sun 20 April 2008]
Lecture/Demo by Sheema Kermani to Commemorate World Dance Day
[Tue 29 April 2008]
The TRC/T2F Education Debates: Competition is destructive
and undermines self-esteem
Respond to the Opinion Poll on TRC’s Website
[Sat May 3 2008]
T2F Turns One Birthday Celebrations!
[May 13 - 18 2008]
Launch of Fault Lines: Short Stories by Pakistani and Bangladeshi Writers on 1971
[Tue May 13 2008]
APMC Annual Music Festival
The All Pakistan Music Conference presents its 5th annual festival.
Artistes include Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Rustam Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Salamat Hussain, Ustad Imdad Hussain and Ustad Naseeruddin Sami. The grand finale features Ashwini Bhide Deshpande from India.
The festival is free. Call the APMC Secretariat on 0321-238-1236 for more information.
Dates: 11th - 12th April 2008
Time: 8:00 pm onwards
Venue: The Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
Acoustic Performance
Join us at t2f for an evening of acoustic music
Date: 8th April 2008 | Time: 8:30 pm
This Tuesday evening, come and hang out at t2f for an informal acoustic session featuring Danesh and Danny Gilani, Haider Naqvi, and Essa Saulat. Covers ranging from Fast Car and Drops of Jupiter to Hallelujah and Wish You Were Here will be performed.
Date: Tuesday 8th April, 2008
Time: 8:30 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 150
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.
An Evening With Mehreen Jabbar
In Conversation with Filmmaker, Mehreen Jabbar
Date: 2nd April 2008 | Time: 7:00 pm
Join us for a screening of Mehreen’s 1998 short film, Beauty Parlour, and a sneak preview of her upcoming feature film, Ramchand Pakistani. After the screening, Mehreen will answer questions from the audience.
BEAUTY PARLOR - 18 mins
Screened in numerous film festivals around the world, Beauty Parlour is a short film about identity and desire, traced through the lives of 3 women and a eunuch.
Note: The film contains strong language in Urdu and English.
RAMCHAND PAKISTANI PREVIEW - 2 mins
Inspired by actual events, “Ramchand Pakistani” depicts how an accidental crossing of the Pakistan-Indian border at a time of war-like tension dramatically changes the lives of a poor Pakistani Hindu “untouchable” peasant family comprising a little boy, his father and his mother.
Mehreen Jabbar graduated from UCLA in 1993 with a Film, Television and Video certificate, and returned to Pakistan to direct and produce made-for-TV movies and drama series/serials under the banner of TasVeer Productions. Mehreen went on to direct tele-films and TV series for numerous TV channels in Pakistan, in addition to a number of short films which have aired in festivals worldwide. “Ramchand Pakistani” is her first feature length film, to be released later this year. Mehreen has been a member of the National Board of Film Censors in Karachi, a founding member of WAR (War Against Rape), the KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, and has also served as a juror at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2002. She currently resides in New York City.
Date: Wednesday 2nd March, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Suggested Minimum Donation: Rs. 100
Venue: The Second Floor (t2f)
Address | Map
Seats are limited and will be available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. No reservations.