Synopsis
FACING THE MUSIC begins with the start of the academic year at Sydney University in Australia and follows the protagonists throughout this year. The scene of the action is the Music Faculty, where the renowned composer Anne Boyd is in charge. Talented young music students hang on her every word during her lectures on the history of Western music and play with fantastic dedication during the practical lessons. Meanwhile, in the university corridors and meeting rooms, the atmosphere is less serene. As a result of years of cutbacks in expenditure, the faculty is faced with huge deficits. The university constantly economises on teaching aids and instruments and the few teachers that want to keep working under these conditions are seriously overworked. Anne Boyd feels compelled to fight for the quality of the education in her department. She does so with a great deal of energy and passion, but sometimes also with a courage born of despair. After some initial hesitation, she proceeds to take action: she speaks at protest rallies and at a strike and even approaches potential sponsors from the business community. The film interweaves her lectures, in which she interacts with her students with striking ardour, with her actions against the authorities. This shows the development of a woman who fights for what she stands for and eventually realises what to her is most important in life.