Chamber Music

Chamber Music is a short documentary set in a residential program at the Center for Recovery and Wellness on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Through music education, performances, and filmed conversations, participants reflect on their experiences with addiction, the role of music in their lives, and the mutual support that fosters recovery.

The documentary emerged from an ongoing arts program serving individuals with substance use disorders. By integrating music and filmmaking into community life, the program creates opportunities for reflection, discipline, self-expression, and connection. Developed over several years, the film highlights the impact of artistic engagement within a recovery community.

Directed and edited by Mariano Wainsztein, a filmmaker, musician, and educator who has taught at the Center for nearly a decade, Chamber Music is shaped by sustained relationships formed through teaching, collaboration, and shared creative work. Among the participants is Ev Rock, whose insight, candor, and storytelling make him a central figure in the film.

Rooted in documentary practice and community arts, Chamber Music portrays recovery not only as an individual journey but also as a social and cultural experience.