Landfill Harmonic

Lots of documentaries lay claim to being inspiring, but many fall into over-sentimentality or manufactured emotions. However, "Landfill Harmonic" is truly inspiring and uplifting, while always feeling unforced, it's emotions well-earned.

It's also one of those stories that would seem ridiculous and over the top if it weren't true: An ecological engineer comes to work in a poverty stricken Paraguayan town. Once there, he decides instead to follow his dream and become a music teacher. But the town's children – while eager to learn - can't possibly afford instruments. Enter a local genius named 'Cola' who somehow fashions wonderful, playable instruments completely from garbage found in the town's giant garbage landfill. Old oil drums become cellos, discarded forks become bridges on violins.

That story alone would be enough for a film. But the passion the teacher and students then put into learning to play these instruments with ever greater skill, and the reception they get as people discover their story builds and builds, going to surprising and affecting places.

I've read some valid criticisms that the doc needlessly neglects to answer some questions about how things happened, and speeds through certain steps in the story. Also that it is fairly straightforward and flat in it's approach and uninspired technically. All fair. But sometimes a terrific true tale, and the wonderful people in it are enough to make those kinds of flaws seem unimportant. Yes I'd love to know even more details. But what the film gave me was enough to know I'll never forget it.

I am a huge Megadeth fan and when I saw them in the synopsis of the film, I knew I had to go see it.

The doc starts out slow, explaining the origin of a man who came to a city in south America to figure out their waste problem. when this plan fell thorough he stayed to teach the children how to play music. The doc gets real interesting when this man realizes he that they're not enough interments to go around for these kids. Then he meets a man who has the skills to create the interments needed for these kids out of garbage. The kids become good enough to use the orchestra to see the world outside of their small area and attract the eye of Megadeth bassist, Dave Ellefson.

The documentary is amazing because it's on an amazing story about how a community coming together and using what they got to climb of the ladder. Such an inspiration.

Very well made documentary. From the depths of abject poverty and environmental travesty, the transformative power of music to lift the human spirit reinforces my opinion that music is the closest we'll get to real magic. A man comes to this community to help with the trash/pollution issues. Overwhelmed by reality, he stays to teach the children music. With more students than instruments, he enlists a ganchero/carpenter to begin building instruments from items pulled from the landfill. He is a good teacher. He is a good man. The effects are equal parts inspiration for the human spirit and dismay at the human condition. Either one should/could bring a tear to your eye. (PS: They toured with Megadeth)

Very well made documentary. From the depths of abject poverty and environmental travesty, the transformative power of music to lift the human spirit reinforces my opinion that music is the closest we'll get to real magic. A man comes to this community to help with the trash/pollution issues. Overwhelmed by reality, he stays to teach the children music. With more students than instruments, he enlists a ganchero/carpenter to begin building instruments from items pulled from the landfill. He is a good teacher. He is a good man. The effects are equal parts inspiration for the human spirit and dismay at the human condition. Either one should/could bring a tear to your eye.