Facing the Music

Screening on Film

Directed by Robin Anderson and Bob Connolly.
Australia, 2001, 35mm, color, 86 min.

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.

PRECEDED BY

Doos and Don'ts

Directed by Johan Eriksson.
Scotland, 2000, video, color, 14 min.

Can a relationship with a pigeon be more important than one with a neighbor or a spouse? For the pigeon breeders of Glasgow, Scotland, friendships and family ties are often overlooked in the pursuit of a desirable bird. In this unusual portrait, bitter, unresolved rivalries emerge on quiet suburban lawns and in the sky above, where life-and-death dramas are played out in avian form.