Tocar Y Luchar (To Play and to Fight) July 24, 2010

From its beginnings as a modest program designed to expose rural children to the beauty of music, the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System has become an important and exemplary social phenomenon that produces some of the most renowned musicians in the world, like L.A. Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Edicson Ruiz, the youngest player in the Berlin Philharmonic. This documentary tells the inspirational story of the many cultural and social accomplishments of the “Sistema” and includes interviews with Dudamel, Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Giuseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata. (Venezuela, 1996, 70 min. No MPAA rating.)

“A transcendent journey that showcases the power of music and its ability to promote positive social change.”—AFI FEST

FREE; no reservations

Official Website: http://www.skirball.org