Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, August 28: MY VOICE, MY LIFE
Ruby Yang’s profile of high school students preparing for a musical theatre performance premiered at a special event in Hong Kong last Fall. Fest screenings have included Hong Kong, Manchester, Nashville, CAAMFest, and NYC’s Asian American, among others.
Yang surveys multiple students from several lower-performing high schools, including a school for the blind, as they commit to a six-month rehearsal process for a musical to take place at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Meant to be an inspirational journey, the film profiles several misfits who wouldn’t be expected to succeed, but through perseverance and an occasional second chance afforded them by their thoughtful teachers and advisors, they conquer bad habits, discover confidence, and, in the case of the blind students, demonstrate that they’re more capable than others might initially suspect. As with most survey projects like these, there are several subjects whose presence adds very little, and instead dilutes the impact made by the few more compelling students’ stories – though even the latter are unfortunately superficial. Ultimately, while some audiences may find the film succeeds in its inspirational mission, others will instead remain unconvinced by its sentimentality, cheesy score, scattered focus, and a surprising lack of energy and visual flair, given the subject matter.
what (not) to doc 