Children of Las Brisas

Our goal was to document El Sistema, in a different light. It had already been glorified in a few documentaries. We follow the story from the point of view of the children and their families illustrating how their musical education influenced their daily existence and outlook on the world. We met a few kids from the inaugural class of Las Brisas orchestra. Several of them and their families opened their homes to our crew.

Throughout the years of filming we learned that dreams can help people overcome terrible obstacles and suffering. We saw that the discipline and fortitude that the children acquired through their musical education gave them skills that enabled them to survive beyond the context of orchestras and institutions. However, when the children insisted on continuing their musical journey, despite not having their basic needs met, the dream seemed unattainable. As Venezuela began its descent into a failed state, their musical journey was impossible. Our characters had to abandon the orchestra, even though they had attained quite a high degree of competence as musicians.

Our prolonged engagement with these children also allowed us to closely observe the relationship between the Venezuelan government and “El Sistema.” Over the years, this organization was taken over by the regime and turned into an instrument of propaganda, selling the goal of reaching over a million young musicians, while the majority of Venezuelan citizens are left without access to essential services, including healthcare, clean water, electricity, food, and education.

We also aimed to raise awareness to the plight of more than seven and a half million displaced Venezuelans. The film delves into real-life stories, shedding light on the compelling reasons why many of us were forced to leave our homeland, which remains relatively unknown to the world.