Facing the music

A compelling portrait of the struggle endured by Sydney University’s Music Department as it withstands ongoing funding cuts. At the centre of this portrait is Head of the Department, Professor Anne Boyd, a renowned composer in her own right, whose passion for music is matched by her staunch commitment to quality higher education. Boyd’s idealism is what makes her an inspiring, impassioned teacher in the classroom and a fierce defender of education at union meetings and strikes. Filmed over one academic year, “Facing the music” reveals in excruciating detail the sacrifices, emotional strain and tattered morale a university department must endure when faced with sustained cuts. “Facing the music” is made by Australia’s award-winning documentary duo, Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson, who, through capturing this real-life story, force us to consider the wider issue and debate of higher education within a context of economic rationalism. Should students fight for their right to quality education? Should Professors become entrepreneurs to ensure the survival of their academic departments? Should the arts suffer solely because it isn’t designed to sustain commerce and the marketplace? This is an extremely well-crafted, socially pertinent documentary that forces us to consider the role and worth of knowledge, research and the role of the artist in an increasingly hostile world of economic rationalism.