Synopsis

A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, Laya Project is a documentary about the lives and music culture of coastal and surrounding communities in the 2004 Tsunami-affected regions. Laya Project is a visual journey documenting folk music recorded and filmed on location in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, India and Myanmar. Some of these performances are rare, and documented for the first time. The musicians are primarily from coastal communities affected by the Tsunami of December 26th, 2004. For the international team of musicians, sound engineers and camera men who came together for this unique production, Laya Project is a celebration of life, and is dedicated to the survivors. Crossing boundaries of genre while still preserving the music of the people, Laya Projects’ essence is artistic purity and simplicity, from a nonjudgmental point of view. The production creates a composition that mixes and enhances the original recordings, and embarks on a visual and musical journey crossing borders, while preserving the music of the people.

Director

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  • Herold Manfils
  • Born in Portugal in 1968, he has lived in various countries including the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Argentina, gaining diverse experiences. After starting as an assistant in advertising in 1997, he moved to London to study at the London Film School, marking his first steps into the film industry. Having moved to Asia in 1996, his multifaceted experiences in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and China have been integrated into his film work, with *Laya Project* being his directorial debut shaped by these experiences.