Wide Open Sky
Directed by Lisa Nicol
Wide Open Sky follows the heart-warming story of an outback Australian children's choir. Chronicling their journey from auditions to end-of-year concert, the trials of trying to run a children's choir in a remote and disadvantaged region are revealed. Here, sport is king and music education is non-existent. Despite this, choir mistress Michelle has high expectations. She wants to teach the children contemporary, original, demanding music. It becomes clear for the children to believe in themselves, they all need someone who believes in them. Set against a landscape of devastating beauty, Wide Open Sky is a moving portrait of the fragile world of possibility that is childhood and reminds us why no child, anywhere, should grow up without music.
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Reviews
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★★★★ review by Aquila on Letterboxd
A passion project that changes lives, very well observed.
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★★★★ review by Greg Restall on Letterboxd
A gentle and moving documentary about the selection and training of young children for a one-off choral performance, in rural New South Wales. The intensity of the children’s participation, and their delight they take in the music is something special to see, as are the subtle signs of the disparities of opportunity many face in remote Australia. Recommended for insights into a slice of life many rarely see.
(The soundtrack by Dirty Three is a plus.)
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