The First Grader
Rating: PG-13
Showdates: July 1-3
Showtimes: Fri 8pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 5pm
Length (in minutes): 103
A film by Justin Chadwick.
In a small, remote, primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance at free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One applicant creates a stir when he knocks on the door of the school -- Maruge (Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties. Having fought for the liberation of his country, Maruge is desperate to learn how to read at this late stage of his life —even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds.
Impressed by his tenacity, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission. Together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious spot at the school on an old man.
Full of vitality and humor, the film follows the friendships formed by Maruge and his young classmates who, at first, regard him with curiosity. Throughout his studies, Maruge reflects on his past and the cost of freedom; his playful days of working alongside the children are punctuated by memories of living under British colonial rule and the harsh conditions of the British detention camps.
Directed by Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL/BLEAK HOUSE) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, KIT KITTRIDGE), THE FIRST GRADER is a heart-warming and inspiring true story of one man's fight for the right to learn. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.
National Geographic Entertainment presents a BBC Films, UK Film Council in association with VideoVision Entertainment, Lip Sync and ARTE France, a Sixth Sense/Origin Pictures Production.
Impressed by his tenacity, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission. Together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious spot at the school on an old man.
Full of vitality and humor, the film follows the friendships formed by Maruge and his young classmates who, at first, regard him with curiosity. Throughout his studies, Maruge reflects on his past and the cost of freedom; his playful days of working alongside the children are punctuated by memories of living under British colonial rule and the harsh conditions of the British detention camps.
Directed by Justin Chadwick (THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL/BLEAK HOUSE) from a script by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE, KIT KITTRIDGE), THE FIRST GRADER is a heart-warming and inspiring true story of one man's fight for the right to learn. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education.
National Geographic Entertainment presents a BBC Films, UK Film Council in association with VideoVision Entertainment, Lip Sync and ARTE France, a Sixth Sense/Origin Pictures Production.
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