New to DVD and VOD this week:
MAKING THE GRADE
Director:
Ken Wardrop
Premiere:
SXSW 2018
Select Festivals:
Hamptons, Seattle, Newport Beach
About:
On piano teachers and their students in Ireland.
In Ireland, approximately 30,000 students of various ages take different levels of piano exams each year. Demonstrating his signature humanism and warmth, director Ken Wardrop offers a peek into the lessons of a cross-section of these Mozart hopefuls, from the beginning grades through to the most proficient. Though neither the exam nor its results are revealed here, it’s clear that not everyone in the film will pass, as, in many ways, that’s besides the point. The film never dives deep into any individual stories, but the result is an affectionate mosaic of the relationship between piano teacher and student, while at the same time a love letter to music education and appreciation.
what (not) to doc 