Big Voice
BIG VOICE captures a tumultuous year in the life of a visionary high school choir teacher and his students as they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become one big voice in this inspiring musical documentary.
BIG VOICE captures a tumultuous year in the life of a visionary high school choir teacher and his students as they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become one big voice in this inspiring musical documentary.
Award-winning director Varda Bar-Kar develops and directs meaningful and engaging documentaries, feature films, and episodic television. Varda was born in England and lived on three continents by age 10, providing her with a global perspective. She is an "artivist" filmmaker, focusing her lens on subjects that explore the breadth and diversity of the human condition. Varda's films have won multiple awards, including two Emmy Awards, two LA Press Club Journalism Awards, and an Anthem Award. Her documentary, "Big Voice," premiered on Netflix and was broadcast nationally on PBS, winning a Bronze Telly Award. "Big Voice" screened at the United States Capitol as part of a campaign advocating for arts education. Varda's bi-national music documentary "Fandango at the Wall" was executive-produced by Quincy Jones and Carlos Santana. "Fandango at the Wall" premiered on HBO, streamed on MAX, spawned a Grammy-winning album, and screened at the United States Library of Congress, highlighting the power of cross-cultural diplomacy. PBS SoCal commissioned Varda to make "Artbound: The Cheech," the Emmy-winning documentary exploring Cheech Marin's passion and influence on the rise of Chicano art.
Varda's newest music documentary, "Janis Ian: Breaking Silence," premiered at DOC NYC, where it was among the top 10 most-viewed films. It won multiple festival audience awards for "best documentary" and was recognized by the Palm Springs International Film Festival as one of the "Best of the Fest" top ten films. Greenwich Entertainment picked up "Breaking Silence" for a limited theatrical run, a digital release, and a national broadcast on the PBS series American Masters. Varda participated in Ryan Murphy’s Half Foundation director program and directed an episode of Fox's hit show 9-1-1. She's a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Resident, a Ford Foundation & Kenneth Rainin Foundation grant recipient, and a member of the DGA.