The department of music at the University of Sydney and its chair, Professor Anne Boyd, a dedicated teacher and distinguished composer, are the unlikely focus of this embracing new documentary about labor issues. Set against a sound track of extraordinary music produced by the students and staff of the department, Facing the Music is a compelling indictment of the toll that cutbacks in government funding have taken on higher education. Gifted young students pursue the mysteries of musical creation while Professor Boyd fights to preserve basic standards after nearly a decade of ongoing funding cuts.