A donor recently agreed to give almost a million dollars to save the Music Department at the University of Sydney after seeing a screening of the documentary Facing the Music at the 2001 Sydney Film Festival (the documentary also screened at the 2001 New Zealand Film Festival).

A donor recently agreed to give almost a million dollars to save the Music Department at the University of Sydney after seeing a screening of the documentary Facing the Music at the 2001 Sydney Film Festival (the documentary also screened at the 2001 New Zealand Film Festival).

The film was made by celebrated filmmaker Robin Anderson who has since passed away, but not before hearing on her death bed that her film had helped save the financially stricken department.

Anne Boyd, HOD of the University of Sydney, Music Deparment, and who was a central character in the documentary said "the donation had come about because the documentary had truthfully portrayed the crisis faced by one of many hundreds of departments".

"We were faced with the death of our department".

The gifted funds will provide for the first increase in staff for ten years and also for the establishment of a small music research centre and some new programs.

Apparently another man has offered his business expertise to the Department after seeing the movie while travelling Business Class on Qantas en route to the US.