Synopsis

Simone Young has conquered one of the most male-dominated professions—opera and classical music conducting—in cities like New York, London, Paris, and Munich. Starting out as a young girl from Sydney, Simone now holds numerous “first” titles. But she has grown weary of the constant association with the label “female.” Maestra (2022) captures the career, challenges, and victories of a great conductor, spanning past, present, and future.

Program Note

Simone Young is one of the world’s most prestigious conductors, and she hails from Australia. She is especially renowned for her work in opera and classical music rooted in Germany and Austria—and above all, she is a woman. The film focuses on a life that has been anything but easy, woven together by the threads of classical music, conducting, and gender. It interlaces the emotional moment of reconnecting with the world through music after the pandemic with the story of a woman who survived in an ultra-conservative, male-dominated professional world. To women in similar positions, she says: “You don’t need to prove yourself. Everything will change.” (Kim Yoon-ha)

Director

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  • Janine Hosking
  • Janine Hosking’s notable works include the HBO feature documentary My Khmer Heart (2000), Mademoiselle and the Doctor (2004), and Ganja Queen (2007). My Khmer Heart won Best Documentary at the Hollywood Film Festival. 35 Letters (2014) won Best Documentary at the Sydney Film Festival, while The Eulogy (2018) premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2019 AACTA Awards.