Nessa Hyams

This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

Matthew, a young schizophrenic, finds himself out on the street when a slumlord tears down his apartment building. Soon, he finds himself in even more dire straits, when he is threatened by Little Leroy, a thug who is one of the tough denizens of the Fort Washington Shelter for Men. He reaches out to Jerry, a streetwise combat veteran, who takes Matthew under his wing as a son. The relationship between these two men grows as they attempt to conquer the numbing isolation of homelessness.

After several months of hard times, pianist Eddie Layton is offered the job of bandleader at Olmstead University. His first meeting is discouraging, as the young people are a happy group with very basic musical skills. But Eddie doesn't give up, he wants to motivate his students and his enthusiasm pays off. With the help of French teacher and band sponsor Miss Cooper and billionaire Elmo De Lavallard, who buys new instruments and brightly coloured uniforms, Eddie is proud to lead these musicians who play their hearts out for him.