Changing people and through that a whole country with music – that is a dream José Antonio Abreu started to realize more than thirty years ago. What started small has turned into a network of children- and youth orchestras today simply called El Sistema – the system. This network helps to give children and teens a perspective, the opportunity to learn and to work on themselves in order to be able to have a good job later. Things that we take for granted in Germany that are not available to everyone in Venezuela.

There has been a lot of international reactions to El Sistema which has become so successful that the UK started to try to implement a similar system.

I came across El Sistema a while ago when reading an article in the Zeit (in German) that talks about a film by Paul Smaczny und Maria Stodtmeier did about El Sistema. The film describes Abreus achievements and the lives of some of the youths that played in his orchestras.The article's title, “Out of the slums playing the violin” is probably an apt summary of the goals of El Sistema.

The whole thing sounds rather inspiring and I'm glad someone made a movie about it. More information about the film can be found on the film's homepage and at Novapool. The film was screened in German cinemas in April and May, but unfortunately I didn't make it to see it. I hope that it will be made available on DVD as well.

Photos © Novapool