A recent trip to Rudolf Bikkers studio with some of my closest contemporaries led me to this video, capturing an absolutely inspirational initiative taking place in Paraguay. I was astonished to see how a community with so very little was creating something so grand, beyond limitations, beyond themselves.
Cateura, Paraguay is a town essentially built on top of a landfill. Garbage collectors browse the trash for sellable goods, and children are often at risk of getting involved with drugs and gangs. When orchestra director Szaran and music teacher Favio set up a music program for the kids of Cateura, they soon have more students than they have instruments.That changed when Szaran and Favio were brought something they had never seen before: a violin made out of garbage. Today, there’s an entire orchestra of assembled instruments, now called The Recycled Orchestra.Our film shows how trash and recycled materials can be transformed into beautiful sounding musical instruments, but more importantly, it brings witness to the transformation of precious human beings.
A feature length film is still in the works.
Visit the website linked above for the release date or to donate to the cause.
