Alex Rotaru
SHAKESPEARE HIGH is a feature-length documentary about a determined group of teens whose immersion in the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California's high school drama program compels them to overcome their difficulties and create better lives for themselves. Among the many famous alumni/ae of this almost 100 year-old program are Kevin Spacey, Val Kilmer, Mare Winningham and Richard Dreyfuss, all featured in the movie.
Chronicles the Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, hosted by The Van Cliburn Foundation. Players from all over the world, ranging from self-taught to classically-trained, aged thirty-five to almost eighty, convene in Fort Worth, Texas for a week of intense competition, music and camaraderie. The film the film provides an intimate look into the lives of these colorful, multi-faceted competitors as they strive to balance the demands of work and family with their love of music. Years of dedicated preparation culminate in critical performances before a professional jury and discerning audience during three nerve-wracking elimination rounds.
Rafe Esquith, 1992 American Teacher of the Year and National Medal of Arts recipient, teaches 5th-grade children whose parents don't speak English at a school in a dangerous, poor, drug-infested 100% Latino/Asian neighborhood in Los Angeles.
