THE FIRST GRADER

Monday, July 4

Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Naomie Harris, Oliver Musila Litondo
Run Time: 98 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 2011
Language: English, Kikuyu with English subtitles
Rating: PG (Violence)

Based on a true story, The First Grader is an inspiring tale about the universal human desire to improve ourselves. An audience favourite at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival®, the story follows Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an eighty-four-year-old man who shows up on the doorstep of a rural school after the government of Kenya announces it will offer free primary education. Having never had the opportunity to learn and attend school, he figures it's never too late to start.

A Mau Mau veteran, Maruge helped liberate Kenya from British colonial rule. He spent his youth fighting for freedom and now his final goal in life is to learn to read. But when he arrives at the school gate, teacher Jane (Naomie Harris) must turn him away. She has no legal reason, so she says he'll need books and a pencil. Maruge returns with both. When she tells him he'll need a uniform, Maruge comes back wearing a school uniform – short pants and all. Impressed with his resilience, she brings the old man into her school, giving him a chance to learn to read, as well as to come to terms with his difficult past.

Director Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) delivers a timeless story with warmth and humanity, and Litondo is superb as Maruge, showing both the strength and humour the old man possessed. Although he depends on a walking stick to get around and his eyes aren't what they used to be, he's living proof that you're never too old to learn something.

"Chadwick strikes a perfect balance between humor and tragic gravity, and the result is that an unknown story seems certain to stir the hearts of audiences worldwide. - The Hollywood Reporter

Reviews: www.metacritic.com/movie/the-first-grader

Official site/Trailers: www.thefirstgrader-themovie.com

 

Summer Cinema 2011 July 4 - THE FIRST GRADER July 25 - WIN WIN August 15 - BEGINNERS