Just Sing is a new musical documentary screening at Milwaukee Film’s Dialogues Documentary Festival this week. The film explores the coming-of-age story of an elite a cappella group competing at the collegiate level to win a sixth national title.
But as interview subjects reveal, it’s more than just a competition for the University of Southern California’s vocal group.
Directors and cinematographers Angelique Molina and Abraham Troen shine a light on the members of the SoCal VoCals and showcase the beauty and hardship that come with pursuing one’s dreams.
Molina and Troen spoke with Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez about the making of the documentary.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Xcaret Nuñez: What inspired you to focus on the art of a cappella for this documentary?
Angelique Molina: I think we both had a personal connection to music, but our wonderful producer, Sarah Thomson, actually came up with the idea to follow the real-life kind of Pitch Perfect, and to see what people in the real world go through with the collegiate competition (Varsity Vocal’s ICCA’s) with a cappella. So that was how the subject came up. But music is definitely something really special and that we enjoy in our lives, so it was a no-brainer to join the project on that note.
Nuñez: Something I loved about this documentary was that nothing was really certain. As a viewer, you get to know these students and just hope the best for them as the competition progresses. Can you tell me about this style of filmmaking and how you worked with the uncertainty?
Abraham Troen: This is a style of observational documentary filmmaking… It’s something that Angelique and I really, really love, and you have to be really, really present. And since both of us were both directing and shooting it together, it really was a kind of dance that we had to do — passing the camera from one to another, and really spending a lot of time with the members of the SoCal VoCals, so that we'd know, almost to anticipate, certain things that would happen. For example, what would it look like the moment before they go on stage. We didn't know who would win or would lose, but we knew at the end of the day that the team members would graduate, and that real life would await them after college. That was something that we, sort of, could tell would be a bittersweet moment and a note that the film would end on as they finish this stage of their singing career, and take the next step as real artists in the real world.
Nuñez: This film is rooted in the personal stories of the members of the SoCal VoCals group. How did you build that trust with students and their parents to let their walls down with you?
Molina: We definitely spent the time together as a college duo, [Abraham] and I, going back in time, and just following and living moment to moment with [the SoCal VoCals]. And to their credit, they worked their butts off — we followed them from 5 a.m. all the way to midnight, from going to classes, going to work, going back to class, going to work, and ending their day with the SoCal VoCals team to practice to be as elite as possible, because as much work as they had going on, they took this very seriously. They're very competitive, which is why they have the record of winning five times in a row. They took this very seriously. But at the end of the day, it's a coming-of-age story, and like [Abraham] said, win or lose, you graduate and you move on, and life has to happen. But they were able to be these friends that grew up in this one moment in time and will get to cherish this moment many years after this one event.
Nuñez: What do you say to someone who has never been into a cappella or isn’t really familiar with the art — why should they watch Just Sing?
Troen: I'll just say — wait till you hear this team sing. You will never have heard Bob Dylan, Beyonce, Rosalia, Adele, Lady Gaga, amongst many, many others, sung in this way before. And I just think that anyone who needs something to lift their spirits, and we all know many people need their spirits lifted these days. I think that this film, I hope, will manage to do that. It was a labor of love to create it, and I hope that love goes on to whoever watches this film.
Molina: I totally agree with what [Abraham] said… if you’ve experienced the young adult life, you will find this film relatable, because we all went through the time of trying to figure out our lives and what's next. This film is also just a ball of joy — to see people really bond with each other and create a bond that will last a lifetime. It's sometimes rare to see this type of joy and this type of youth experience. They're truly a team, and they're in it to win it together. And regardless of whether you have a love for a cappella, if you have a love for music, you will enjoy it.
You can watch the screening of "Just Sing" on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Oriental Theater as part of Milwaukee Film’s Dialogues Documentary Festival. The screening will be followed by a performance and talkback featuring UWM’s only competitive a cappella group, Public Hearing.
You can also follow 'Just Sing' on Instagram to stay up to date on future screenings and releases of the film.
Editor's Note: Milwaukee Film is a financial supporter of WUWM.
