Santa Monica High School choir teacher Jeffe Huls intimidates his students almost as much as he inspires them (at least until they become better acquainted). As he puts it in filmmaker Varda Bar-Kar's optimistic if also evenhanded documentary Big Voice, "I'm a tough cookie." Huls oversees two madrigal groups, one mixed-gender and the other an all-female ensemble. During rehearsals, Huls is a perfectionist, but he also has a sense of humor and is clear about what he wants. Like the best teachers, Huls aims to mold the character of his students and not just teach them new skills, and he has no tolerance for racism, sexism, or homophobia. Huls says that he himself felt different as a kid, a sentiment echoed here by some of his students, including Amy, who says, "I feel like a loner," and Joe, who confesses, "I like spending time by myself." The students also tend to be ambitious, taking AP classes and engaging in other extracurricular activities such as wrestling and producing the school paper. Aside from singing and music-reading, Huls teaches them exercises to relieve tension and he takes them on retreats in order to eliminate distractions and encourage bonding. When Amy's family faces eviction, choir becomes for her a form of escape, so it is fortunate that the community believes in Huls's program, because their fundraising efforts pay for everything except his salary and that of his accompanist. Huls's students know they may never live up to his expectations, but they see that as something to aspire to rather than something to lament. Presented in both a full-length version and a 53-minute abridged edition, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Big Voice
(2017) 83 min. DVD: $89: public libraries & high schools; $295: colleges & universities. DRA. The Video Project. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 1
Big Voice
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