Two years ago, Ekta Mittal, co-founder, Maraa and Yashaswini Raghunandan, a film maker and artist started working on their film “Behind the Tin Sheets”, a production that documents the lives of workers involved in building the Bangalore Metro.

We see the construction happening everywhere and all of us have been affected by it in some way or another. But who are these faceless, nameless people who toil day and night to make the metro a reality?

Here is a synopsis of the film from their website: “There is no simple meaning to the film, it sets out to locate and map multiple meanings from the migrating world(s) of the worker – at home in the city, at work on the Metro, in his dailyness – the mundane and the magic – he emerges as the storyteller. In search of the workers stories, philosophies and fantasies, the film will blend magical elements from their stories within the realistic environment that they inhabit.”

“Simultaneously, the city unfolds through its transformation a sense of ambiguity. The narrative of the worker will meet the narrative of the city as the film gradually reaches its climax, leaving the viewer with an uncanny feeling where the familiar renders the unfamiliar. As Jacques Ranciere affirms, memory is a work of fiction.”

The idea of the film is to experience the city through the eyes of a migrant worker in a city, to create space for alternative discourse on cities and urban redevelopment.

A fellowship from the Centre for Media and Culture Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences supported the making of the film to a certain extent. But the duo need another lakh of rupees to finish the post production including the sound, editing etc.

To help complete the film and mobilize finances, a garage sale is being organised in the premises of Variety Book House on Church Street, from 4-8 pm on Saturday, March 26.

There will be books, trinkets, paintings, Cds/DVDs, t-shirts and other knick knacks contributed by people, available for purchase. You can participate by either donating items, buying items available during the sale or sending money directly to Ekta and Yahas.

For more details, email Ekta at forekta at gmail.com and Zainab Bawa on bawazainab79 at gmail.com.