American Symphony

This film was our pick for a recent Sunday matinee and was a good choice for a sunny afternoon with bad air quality. It was a documentary about the super-talented Jon Batiste and his creation of a symphony to be performed at Carnegie Hall. But it was also about the unexpected recurrence of his partner's (and now wife's) cancer from a decade ago. I love movies about the artistic process and how artists and musicians create their work, and this didn't disappoint in any regard. Batiste is a joyful, uplifting person no matter what they're going through and the love and compassion they have for each other is truly inspiring.

This is from the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, and you can see their spirit if not their hand in the finished product. We weren't sure if we were going to enjoy this as we thought it would be sad, but it was ultimately beautiful, touching, and insightful. It's a bummer it didn't get a Best Documentary Oscar nom but I definitely recommend it, playing on Netflix.