Maro Chermayeff is the Series Director & Executive Producer of “Soundbreaking,” the Co-founder and Executive Producer at production company Show of Force, and the Chair of the MFA Social Documentary School at SVA. Her documentary films and television programs have been broadcast and played theatrically around the world on PBS, HBO, A&E, TLC, Bravo, Discovery, France 2, and Channel Four UL, garnering honors, awards, and significant critical acclaim.

“Soundbreaking” will premiere at the 2016 DOC NYC film festival on November 13. The film is co-directed by Jeff Dupre and will air on PBS November 14.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

MC: “Soundbreaking” charts a century’s worth of innovation and experimentation, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the birth of brand new sounds.

“Soundbreaking” makes us hear the songs we love in a whole new way, and illuminates the sonic alchemy by which the music we listen to becomes a fundamental part of who we are.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

MC: My partner Jeff Dupre and I were actually brought on to this project by the executive producers at Higher Ground based on our track record in making successful large event series as a storytelling format.

We were drawn to accept this challenge and started from the ground-up to build the thematic arc of each episode and the entire series. It was challenging to find a clear narrative way into such a large topic, but we always new we had to find stories. They were all within a world we each care so much about: popular music.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

MC: When they leave the theater, I hope they are saying that this is the best series ever made about music, naturally. I want the audience to have had an exhilarating journey with great songs — there are more than 50 songs in every episode — heard in new ways and through riveting stories told by the incredible artists who made that music.

We want the audience to connect to the artists and the music, and to hear specific tracks they have known and loved for years, but now are hearing in a completely new way: through the lens of the art form of recording music and the technology that was a driver in its evolution.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

MC: The biggest challenge in making this film was the enormous abundance of riches to choose from, and being focused and clear about the stories we wanted to tell. We knew we wanted the series to be thematically driven, with unfolding stories — not a clip show, not a “biography” — but an exploration of music, from the voices of the artists.

I would say the next biggest challenge was scheduling some 200-plus musical superstars who have pretty tight schedules.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

MC: This series was brought to the fore by legendary producer Sir George Martin, who was inspired to create a series that explored the art of producing and the role in technology in the evolution of music over the course of the last 50 some years.

It was funded by broadcast partners, distribution partners, and private investors who care deeply about music and the vision and scope of this ambitious series.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at DOC NYC?

MC: DOC NYC is of course a fast growing and exciting festival right here in the heart of New York. It is exciting to be part of a festival where the star is non-fiction and the multitudes of ways that filmmakers can express themselves . [DOC NYC offers a platform to address] critical issues in our world through the art form of true stories.

I am the Chair of the Social Documentary Department at SVA, and DOC NYC Artistic Director Thom Powers is on the faculty in my department: I have incredible respect for his dedication to documentary.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

MC: Best advice: “It can be better to listen then talk — and sometimes what is not said is the loudest thing in a room.” Basically, learn to read the room.

Worst advice: “Don’t make documentaries; you can’t make a living that way.” That’s bullshit.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

MC: Fight for what you believe in, and stand your ground knowing that compromise is part of any of life’s equations. Believe in your voice and your ability to know what is good — and then stand by your vision. Make good work — the work always leads. Retain a sense of humor. Always keep rolling after you say cut.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

MC: I have many favorite films. Agnes Varda’s films are of course an obvious favorites. [I also really enjoy] Diane Kurys’ films, [particularly] “Entre Nous.”

I loved Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty, ” [which is] practically a doc, and she doesn’t pull any punches as a woman director. This year I have a lot of respect for my colleague Kirsten Johnston, whose film “Cameraperson” I found to be riveting and moving. I also loved Sarah Polley’s “Stories We Tell.”

W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?

MC: I hope the opportunity for women filmmakers is increasing — sometimes the numbers don’t show that is the case. The Hollywood numbers are certainly not where we want them to be. To win, you have to play the game, and you have to be allowed to play the game — at all levels in the industry.

More women need to step up and claim their right to direct. They have to tell more women lead stories. And women executives and distributing partners need to support funding and bringing women filmmakers forward. Then, if you do the work and do it well, if you push down any boundary and just keep going, the work will prevail.

I don’t think of films as made by women or made by men, but that is coming from a privileged perspective. If you can’t even get close to the game or participate in the conversation, if you are harassed and demeaned, as so many woman trying to break glass ceilings have been, then you have the right to be angry. You have a right to demand that you be acknowledged for the work you do and the talent that you bring to the art for, and for the dedication and collaboration that you bring to the process.