12/04/2010
Venezuelan Documentary Festival debuts in London

The Venezuelan Ambassador in London, in partnership with the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and the London Socialist Film Co-op, inaugurated yesterday the First Venezuelan Documentary Festival.

The prestigious London cinema, Renoir, opened the series of documentaries about Venezuela with the screening of the film Tocar y Luchar (To Play and To Struggle) by Alberto Arvelo.  The film tells the story of the "El Sistema de Orquestas Sinfónicas y Juveniles de Venezuela", the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra that has revolutionised music education in the country. 

After the screening of Tocar y Luchar, Alvaro Sanchez, counsellor at the Venezuelan Embassy in London, spoke of the achievements of El Sistema and encouraged the audience to show solidarity with Venezuela to ensure that these types of social programmes are given the support they deserve. 

"Today exactly eight years ago, on the 11th of April 2002, imperial and neo-liberal interests attempted to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Hugo Chavez.  Fortunately they failed.  Nevertheless, threats against the Bolivarian Revolution still persist", said Sanchez.

The season of documentaries on Venezuela continues at Bolivar Hall on Tuesday the 13th of April at 7.30pm with a screening of "Un Golpe y Una Carta" by David Segarra.

Press Unit of the Venezuelan Embassy in London