It really shouldn’t be a surprise at this point that Sundance has managed to collect a remarkable array of documentaries this year. Filled with humor, profound, meaningful… the documentary offerings this year have been off the charts. BROKEN ORCHESTRA is no different.

Charlie Tyrell’s BROKEN ORCHESTRA is a beautiful, touching love letter to the arts. BROKEN ORCHESTRA focuses on “The Symphony for a Broken Orchestra” project, based out of Philadelphia. Arts and music funding in schools has been and continues to be slashed, horrifically, and in low income and underserved cities like Philadelphia, the sting is felt even more strongly. Programs are cut. Teachers are fired. Instruments fall into disrepair. It was from the ashes of this exact destruction that the project was born. Musicians of all ages, from all over the city, came together to play a symphony on broken instruments. Maybe not the sound you expect, but a sound nonetheless. Through this project, funds were raised and connections were made to repair instruments and return them into the hands of students aching to learn.

A poignant and honest reflection on the meaning of arts in our schools, BROKEN ORCHESTRA highlights the depth of the arts funding issues, and humanizes them. Immense heart and caring drive these professionals – musicians, composers, teachers – and their emotion shines through in their interviews without feeling overwrought or cloying in any way. A unique filmmaking style draws you in to the narrative, almost like a student in a classroom. I was honored to sit at the feet of these masters of the arts for the short 12 minutes it took to tell this beautiful story.

Of course, the story of BROKEN ORCHESTRA is not over, and the Philadelphia school district owns over 1,000 instruments that are unable to be played by students. The School District of Philadelphia, through this project, has an “Adopt an Instrument” program in place. So, after you’re moved by the story of the original Symphony event, as I was, you can log on to symphonyforabrokenorchestra.org and become part of life changing history.

10/10 broken violins