The First Grader
The First Grader
Directed by:
Justin ChadwickScreenplay:
Ann PeacockCinematography:
Rob HardyComposer:
Alex HeffesCast:
Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Nick Reding, Vusi Kunene, Gilbert K. Lukalia, Mumbi Kaigwa, Melvin Alusa, Oliver Litondo, Kamau NdunguVOD (1)
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When the Kenyan government promises free education for all, 84 year-old Maruge (Oliver Litondo in his debut role) makes his way to a remote primary school in the Kenyan bush to get himself the education he has always been denied. A former Mau Mau warrior, fifty years earlier he fought for the liberation of his country and now he must fight for his right to learn to read and write in a class of six-year-olds. Moved by his passionate plea, head teacher Jane (Naomie Harris) supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on an old man. Full of humour and vitality, The First Grader uncovers the shocking untold history of British colonial rule in Kenya and tells the remarkable, inspirational story of one man's determination to learn in the face of adversity. (Soda Pictures)
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The channel Cinemax made me really happy on Sunday morning. The First Grader is officially a British movie, but it tells a story of an old man from a small village in the middle of Kenya. From a country that was under the rule of Great Britain for a long time, finding someone who would put the today’s reality of this country right is a rare feat. And I must say that I found it very nice. It makes me incredibly happy when someone is able to appreciate something that we take completely for granted. And you know what? Even though we’ve got these possibilities, we just keep complaining and criticizing. This film is not only about the self-reflection of one nation that has decimated Kenya, but above all about people, about the humility that every European or American should look for in this film, because even though it is a very unusual story and quite incomprehensible to many people, it still has a lot to offer.
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