Landfill Harmonic (2015). Documentary, Paraguay (84 mins). Directed by Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley. Co-Directed by Juliana Penaranda-Loftus. In Spanish with English Subtitles.
Filmed over six years, this inspirational documentary chronicles the unlikely rise of a children’s orchestra in impoverished Cateura, Paraguay. Visionary Favio Chávez starts it, using instruments made from recycled materials found in the community’s enormous landfill. “Having nothing is not an excuse for doing nothing”, he tells us. The documentary takes us from their first concert to their diligent improvement and social media fame. The documentary surprises when they are given the unique opportunity to play with their favorite world famous rock band. When flooding threatens their community, the orchestra must find a way to help each other. This is a moving story of resilience and the transformative power of teaching music.
“An inspiring tale — if it were fiction you’d dismiss it as unbelievable. ” The New York Times.
Co-Director and Producer, Juliana Penaranda-Loftus.
In 2009, Juliana established her own production company, Hidden Village Films,
which focuses on socially relevant films. In 2012, she was one of eight women invited
by the American Film Institute (AFI) to participate in their Directing Workshop for
Women. She produced and co-directed “Landfill Harmonic,” released in 2016. Her
new documentary “The Crossing,” pulls back the curtain on Venezuela’s escalating
humanitarian crisis as it reaches a fever pitch.
Brad Allgood, Director / Director of Photography / Editor.
Brad is an award-winning filmmaker with a background in international development and public health. Before transitioning to filmmaking, Brad served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua. He holds a M.A. in Film and Video Production from American University and a B.S. in Biology and Geology from the University of Georgia.
Graham Townsley, Director.
Graham is an Emmy-nominated director of acclaimed documentaries for PBS, National Geographic and the Discovery channel, including “Becoming Human”, a 3-part series on human evolution for NOVA, “Dawn of the Maya”. He trained as an anthropologist and has a Ph.D from Cambridge University. He has worked in ethnographic films for the BBC.
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(developed by Journeys in Film with the University of California´s School of Education)
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