'Swara' (Seven Notes) is set to release in local cinemas on 1st December, coinciding with World AIDS Day. The movie carries a powerful message on humanity, highlighting the themes of hope and resilience.Swara was produced by internationally acclaimed Nita Fernando and Manohan Nanayakkara.

Directed by Sanjaya Nirmal and released in 2012, Swara is set to screen after a hiatus of 12 years. The film gained high acclaim at international film festivals but wasn’t released to the local circuit due to various setbacks. The moving cinematic features well-known talents; Sachini Ayendra Mahipala, Anusha Rajapakse, Damitha Abeyrathne, W. Jayasiri, Diluni Mallawaarchi, Danu Innasithamby and Nita Fernando in the lead role of Narmada.

At its core, the film bears witness to the hardships that some courageous people had to battle not too long ago as they faced prejudice, ostracization, violence and harm when they revealed their HIV status or were ‘exposed’ unwillingly. The narrative effectively deals with a myriad of socio-economic issues through well-crafted characters and situations. The film sheds light on the hardships of women caught in cycles of poverty and the vulnerability of gender-diverse or questioning persons.

The film Swara’s narrative is woven around the character of Narmada, an internationally celebrated, professional music composer and conductor. Her life takes a different turn after a blood test reveals she is HIV positive. Narmada’s life is a success story from every conceivable perspective, but soon, her whole world starts to crumble. Her decision to reveal her HIV status publicly puts in motion a chain of events that forces her out of her home and threatens to not only end her career but also impacts the life of her daughter and grandchild. She finds community in people from very different backgrounds to her own but facing the same hardships as a result of their shared HIV status. Narmada chooses to fight back for herself and others like her; battling the stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV.