The local premiere of University professor Jay Rosenstein's critically acclaimed documentary, The Amasong Chorus: Singing Out, was met with a standing ovation and war cries "worthy of Amazons" Wednesday night at Beckman Auditorium.

The emotion that swept over the audience of more than 200 people culminated at the end of the screening when the audience broke into a spontaneous rendition of Amazing Grace.

Most of the cries came from past and present chorus members who identified with the image of women as Amazons. The name Amasong is a play on the word Amazon — a reference to the mythological tribe of strong powerful women.

The chorus is made up of women who identify themselves as either lesbian or feminist or both. The group is based in Champaign-Urbana, with members from both the town and University community.

Kristina Boerger, who founded the Amasong Chorus in 1991 as a graduate student at the University, said in the documentary that the chorus members became her family and her "church."

She said the film was so moving because "it tells the power of human beings to touch each other profoundly; it gives us an exquisite feeling to know we're able to make someone's life better in some way."

Before introducing Rosenstein, Boerger thanked him for creating the documentary.

"Thank you for seeing us and showing us to people in Italy, Australia, and San Francisco — but mostly for letting us see ourselves," she said.

The documentary, which highlighted the plight and triumphs of the University's self-proclaimed "premier lesbian/feminist chorus," was part of the University's Brown v. Board of Education commemoration, and was sponsored by the Brown v. Board committee, the College of Communications and WILL-TV. The 53-minute film, produced, edited and directed by Rosenstein, won the Documentary Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association last spring and has received international acclaim from film critics.

The documentary followed the growth of the chorus from an amateur local group into a nationally recognized, award-winning chorus. Even more significant for some audience members, was the documentary's ability to capture the emotional and personal growth of the women in the chorus.

Rosenstein said that the inspiration behind this documentary stemmed from both his appreciation of their musical talent and the musical group's social and political message.

"I was amazed at how incredible this amateur community group was musically, but also at how successfully they had integrated themselves into the mainstream community while calling themselves a lesbian chorus," Rosenstein said.

University Chancellor Nancy Cantor, one of the speakers at the premiere, expanded on the film's significance in light of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

"Brown was a promise, but we still live day to day in a world that is bounded in ways that are so odd and destructive," Cantor said. "The film shows us what can happen when artists and humanitarians, in a world bounded by differences, use art as a medium for participation."

Cantor also spoke about the power of art to help create a dialogue within a divided society.

"Art allows us, in ways that almost nothing else in life can, to suspend the norms, ritual and ways in which we turn away from each other — and have a conversation," she said.

Roswell Quinn, University graduate student, said he found the message of the film very powerful.

"It was pretty moving, especially in light of the Brown v. Board decision. It was a fantastic representation of what that case stood for and what I hope this school stands for," he said.

Rosenstein said that one of the most challenging aspects of making documentaries is trying to capture the core and emotions of each story.

"I always hope to move the audience emotionally one way or the other," he said. "I'm just a storyteller. I like to tell stories, particularly like this form because it gives me an opportunity to integrate music with storytelling — my two greatest loves."