Facing the Music

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2001, 85 Minutes

In their fifth major film together, acclaimed documentary makers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson step inside the halls of Sydney University’s Music Department, where sublime music is being made in a setting that’s far from serene.

It’s budget time at the University and Professor Anne Boyd is in a panic. As gifted young students pursue the mysteries of musical creation, Boyd is fighting to preserve basic standards after nearly a decade of relentless funding cuts.

But Boyd is an innocent when it comes to harsh economic realities and the very qualities that are her strengths as a composer and teacher - her passion, energy and emotion - leave her vulnerable. Forced to drop staff and courses and pick up the phone to plead for private sponsorship, the usually conservative Boyd is forced to fight for what she believes in. The problem is, how long can she continue?

Facing the Music documents Anne Boyd’s rollercoaster journey as she struggles to negotiate the most tumultuous year of her life. It’s a compelling story of one person’s choices and an eye-opening look at a pressing issue - the perilous state of higher education.

A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Arundel Films, Channel Four Television and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

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