To Play and To Fight presents the captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System - an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela's towns and villages. Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful social phenomena in modern history. The documentary portrays the inspirational stories of world class musicians trained by the Venezuelan system, including the Berlin Philharmonic's youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel. With interviews with many of the world's most celebrated musicians including the great tenor Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Guiseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata, To Play and To Fight is an inspirational story of courage, determination, ambition, and love showing us that only those who dream can achieve the impossible.

As youth music programs in the United States continue to decline in both quality and quantity, filmmaker Alberto Arvelo offers a fascinating look at how the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System, among other music programs across the South American country, are having an incredibly positive impact on the very fabric of Venezuelan society. Though once a simple, modest program designed to teach youngsters about classical music and provide them with the skills needed to become a professional orchestral performer, the unprecedented success Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System has inspired numerous other South American countries to implement similar programs. In addition to offering impoverished children a means of transcending their hardships, To Play and to Fight also encourages to allow the viewer to notice the power of music as an effective tool in promoting social growth. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi