A retired music teacher sets out to create a new youth orchestra, the first of its kind for immigrant families in Georgia. 

A sought-after music teacher and conductor, Juana Alzaga is tirelessly committed to her students. She’s led many school orchestras over her 40-year teaching career, but this one is different. The majority of her students’ families are immigrants from across Central and South America who’ve made new homes just outside of Atlanta, along Buford Highway — Georgia’s most diverse corridor. For most, this is their only opportunity for music education. 

Told through cinéma vérité, carefully crafted scenes and personal archival footage, La Orquesta tells a different kind of immigrant story – one that centers art, beauty and the transformative power of music.

This film is currently in production with support from Latino Public Broadcasting’s Digital Media Fund and fiscally sponsored by the Southern Documentary Fund. For more information on grant or donation opportunities, please reach out here.