Tonal, repetitive, insistently rhythmic, Reich’s compositions have emerged in the 1980’s as one of the central influences in contemporary music. This film covers Reich’s work over the last twenty years, from the early tape pieces to recent orchestral work, with extracts from concerts filmed in England and New York. Conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas, who has worked closely with Reich, assesses his impact on, and contribution to, contemporary music. Reich himself talks with candour and considerable humour about his life and musical development.