Beginning on October 1, PBS will broadcast Los Hermanos/The Brothers, a documentary about brothers Ilmar Gavilan and Aldo Gavilan. Directed by Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider, the film follows the Afro-Cuban musicians, born in Havana in the 1970s. At 14, Ilmar was sent to the U.S.S.R. to study violin; he never lived in Cuba again, ultimately working as a chamber violinist in the U.S. Younger brother Aldo grew up mentored by Cuba’s impressive jazz and classical pianists, achieving renown on the island, but stymied elsewhere by the 60-year U.S. embargo. Though they see each other when family finances and visa restrictions allow, they’ve never had a chance to collaborate musically—something they long wished for. Los Hermanos/The Brothers won the Best Documentary Feature Award at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2020. It has been screened at DOCNYC, the Miami Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, and at Carnegie Hall ahead of the theatrical release in Spring 2021. The film will also be streamed for 30 days beginning on October 1 at PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
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