Private Project

Fill My Heart With Song

Joel Light learned to sing classic show tunes and barbershop standards from his mother Arlene, who performed in Sweet Adelines as a young woman. Now, as she battles dementia, Joel must help her recall the same songs she once taught him. "Fill My Heart With Song" is a touching portrait of a mother and son, and a moving testament to the transformative power of music.

  • David Walker
    Director
  • Joel Light
    Key Cast
    "(Self)"
  • Arlene Wick Light
    Key Cast
    "(Self)"
  • Dan Moore
    Key Cast
    "(Self)"
  • Lindsay Taylor Jackson
    Camera Assistant
    Hiking Thru
  • David Faxon
    Camera Assistant
  • Michael LeTourneau
    Sound Engineer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Family, Music
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - David Walker

Dave Walker is a filmmaker whose work spans documentary, narrative, podcasting, animation and live projection. Located in Boston, he has worked professionally as a freelance motion graphics editor and as a videographer and photographer for John Hancock. He graduated from Brown University where he studied film production, video installation and media theory and spent a year at the Director's Workshop at FAMU in Prague. His current focus is on documenting creative processes across a range of disciplines from cartooning to fine art to music therapy.

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Director Statement

The primary purpose of the film is to highlight the practice of music as a therapeutic tool and show the transformative effects it can have. The secondary purpose is to dignify elders and the experience of aging. Unfortunately our society rarely turns the spotlight on these people who can teach us so much about what it is to be human.

But perhaps more than these two objectives, which were more explicit at the outset, the unexpected discovery of the project was the touching relationship that unfolded between mother and son. As I spent time with Joel and Arlene, their tender and humorous connection captivated me and that became the primary storyline and the vehicle through which to address these other topical interests.