Independent Lens: Children of Las Brisas

Young musicians in a youth orchestra in Venezuela's Las Brisas district strive for a better life through classical music.

In poverty-stricken Las Brisas, the Venezuelan government-sponsored classical music program El Sistema offers children the opportunity to aspire for greatness, as the country’s spiraling collapse and political repression threatens the musicians’ dreams of a better life. In Children of Las Brisas, award-winning documentarian and Venezuelan director Marianela Maldonado captures three young protagonists over the span of 10 years. Independent Lens: Children of Las Brisas airs Monday, January 2, 2023 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV. The film will also be available to stream on the PBS app.