Maya Lin was a 20-year-old Yale undergrad when her proposed design for a Vietnam Veterans' War Memorial was chosen from over 1,400 entries. This film traces the intense controversy surrounding her stark, unconventional design, and how the diminutive but determined young woman saw her vision through to completion and eventual acclaim. It moves from there to examine some of her subsequent commissions, and the distinctive approach to form and function that characterizes Maya Lin's impressive body of work.

A compelling portrait of a brilliant artist and a surprisingly unassuming person, Freida Lee Mock's fascinating documentary takes us inside this brilliant young artist's unique process, but also lets us get to know her. What emerges is an inspiring visual document about what can be achieved when a gifted youth is given every encouragement and opportunity to pursue her muse. Vital viewing.