Watch Landfill Harmonic

Landfill Harmonic is a heartwarming documentary that tells the story of a group of young musicians who create beautiful music with instruments made entirely out of garbage. The film is directed by Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley and was released in 2015. The documentary is set in Cateura, a slum located on the outskirts of Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay. Cateura is one of the poorest places in the country and is known as a landfill community. The people living in Cateura make a living by scavenging through the garbage dump to find anything they can recycle or sell. The living conditions in Cateura are harsh, and the people are struggling to survive.

One day, a man named Favio Chavez, a musician and environmental engineer, came to Cateura to work on a project to recycle the trash. He noticed that the children in the community were curious about his work and were interested in music. Favio decided to start a music program for the children, but the problem was that there were no instruments. That's when he had the idea of creating instruments out of the garbage that was abundant in the landfill.

Favio and a local trash picker named Cola decided to build the instruments together, and soon they had created a violin made out of an old paint can, a cello made out of a large oil can, and a guitar made out of a piece of wood and a broken kitchen utensil. These instruments were the beginning of what would become the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura.

The documentary follows the lives of three members of the orchestra: Ada, Tania, and Favio's own son, Juan. Ada is a young girl who dreams of becoming a musician, but her family is not supportive of her ambitions. Tania is a teenager who was forced to drop out of school to help support her family. Juan is a passionate musician who struggles with the responsibility of being his father's son and living up to the expectations of the orchestra.

As the orchestra grows in popularity, the children of Cateura become local celebrities. They are invited to play concerts and perform at events throughout Paraguay and even internationally. The film shows the impact that music has on the lives of these children and how it gives them hope for a better future.

One of the most touching moments in the film is when the orchestra tours in Brazil and meets the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. The members of the Recycled Orchestra are in awe of the beautiful instruments and the luxurious concert hall where the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra performs. The contrast between the two orchestras is stark, but the musicians find common ground in their shared love of music.

Another highlight of the film is when the orchestra is invited to perform at a concert in New York City's Lincoln Center. This is a dream come true for the children, but it also puts pressure on them to perform well. The documentary shows the behind-the-scenes preparations for the concert and the emotional journey that the children go through as they travel to America to perform.

Overall, Landfill Harmonic is a moving and inspiring documentary that shows the power of music to bring hope to even the most desperate situations. The film highlights the ingenuity of the human spirit and the resilience of the children of Cateura, who find joy and passion in their music despite their challenging circumstances. The documentary is a must-see for anyone who loves music and believes in the transformative power of the arts.

Landfill Harmonic is a 2015 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 24 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.1.