SING!

These two short documentaries by Academy Award-winning director Freida Lee Mock explore the pursuit of artistic creativity in the face of personal and public hardship. BIRD BY BIRD WITH ANNIE covers a year in the life of best-selling author and humorist Anne Lamott, told through her own self-reflection, her readings, and her speeches. Lamott shares how her struggle with alcoholism, her choice to become a single mother, and her conversion to Christianity have shaped her career as a writer. As she copes with adversity, Lamott continues to encourage others to develop their unique voices as writers. A 2002 Academy Award nomination for Best Short Documentary, SING! shares the story of the Los Angeles Childrenís Chorus, a community-based, multi-ethnic choral ensemble. Artistic director Anne Tomlinson struggles to keep the chorus alive despite statewide funding cuts in the arts, while the kids learn that opera is ìcool.î Their talent, hard work, and determination lead famed conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen to claim: ìThis is the best childrenís chorus I have ever heard.î ñE.J.B.