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.