Inspiring and heart-warming are words that will easily be pegged to the description of The First Grader. The story of an 84 year old Kenyan man enrolling in primary school is, after all, the sort of feel-good thing you expect to hear after all the bad news has been dispensed with, the sort of story that puts a smile on your face and helps you forget about all that terribly depressing stuff until the next news bulletin. With a solid performance from Oliver Litondo, a former TV news anchor, playing Kimani Maruge, the illiterate old man on a quest for education; an earnest performance from Naomie Harris as Teacher Jane, ardent champion of Maruge’s cause; and a school full...
- 8/8/2013
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
Today's Indie Beat comes in the form of a full short film, recently released for public viewing. Come inside to check out the dramatci short in it's entirety!
Here at Cinelinx we like to talk about all aspects of filmmaking and movie news. To that end, we have Indie Beat where we highlight some of the latest news, trailers, and PR releases from the indie filmmaker scene. So if you're an independent filmmaker and want some coverage on our site, be sure to drop us a line at jordan@cinelinx.com.
The Truth About Stanley tells the story of an unlikely friendship between an old Congolese man and a young runaway, living rough on the streets. It is about friendship, loss, and the way in which we choose to deal with personal trauma. For Stanley, what he lacks in material possessions, he makes up for with his vivid imagination and...
Here at Cinelinx we like to talk about all aspects of filmmaking and movie news. To that end, we have Indie Beat where we highlight some of the latest news, trailers, and PR releases from the indie filmmaker scene. So if you're an independent filmmaker and want some coverage on our site, be sure to drop us a line at jordan@cinelinx.com.
The Truth About Stanley tells the story of an unlikely friendship between an old Congolese man and a young runaway, living rough on the streets. It is about friendship, loss, and the way in which we choose to deal with personal trauma. For Stanley, what he lacks in material possessions, he makes up for with his vivid imagination and...
- 7/22/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
The First Grader, a Kenyan film we covered quite extensively on this site, from its theatrical release to DVD (it received a limited theatrical run in the USA last year via National Geographic, grossing a healthy $332,000), is now available on VOD, as I just learned. So you can watch it right now, if you have a Netflix account, because it's streaming there. Yay! The film was directed by Justin Chadwick, with Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo in starring roles. Set in Kenya, the film (based on a true story) centers on an old villager (played by Litondo), who insists on attending school so he can learn to read, inspiring others around him to realize that it's never too...
- 6/13/2012
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
This isn’t just a poignant little film about a homeless man and the boy who befriends him: it’s a fundraiser for homeless causes in the U.K. If you’re in the U.K., you can donate to the Stanley fund by texting STANLEY2, 3 Or 6 to 70300 to give £2, £3 Or £6. The donation will help the homeless to turn their lives around. Donations will be deducted from the mobile phone bill plus your standard network rate for one text message. 100% of the donation will go to homeless charities - Anchor House and The Big Issue Foundation. That’s direct from the folks involved in the film. More at the official site. The film is directed by Lucy Tcherniak and stars Oliver Litondo, who recently won Best Actor at the 11th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Gala for his performance in The First Grader (which I really must review soon).
- 4/4/2012
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
'The Truth About Stanley' will go straight to the internet to give an alternative view of the Olympics city
A short film designed to raise awareness about Britain's rising rates of homelessness is to be premiered in London this week before becoming one of the latest professional productions to go straight to the internet.
The Truth About Stanley depicts the unlikely relationship between an elderly Congolese man and a young runaway boy both sleeping rough on the streets of London. It stars award-winning Kenyan actor Oliver Litondo and 12-year-old British actor Raif Clarke and has already been called the "Cathy Come Home for the 21st century" by one critic.
The film is released as the UK's homelessness rates increase: last month government figures showed the numbers of rough sleepers had risen by a fifth in England, while there was a 14% year-on-year rise in the numbers applying for homelessness assistance.
A short film designed to raise awareness about Britain's rising rates of homelessness is to be premiered in London this week before becoming one of the latest professional productions to go straight to the internet.
The Truth About Stanley depicts the unlikely relationship between an elderly Congolese man and a young runaway boy both sleeping rough on the streets of London. It stars award-winning Kenyan actor Oliver Litondo and 12-year-old British actor Raif Clarke and has already been called the "Cathy Come Home for the 21st century" by one critic.
The film is released as the UK's homelessness rates increase: last month government figures showed the numbers of rough sleepers had risen by a fifth in England, while there was a 14% year-on-year rise in the numbers applying for homelessness assistance.
- 4/2/2012
- by Tracy McVeigh
- The Guardian - Film News
As expected, Tate Taylor's "The Help" won big at the 43rd Annual NAACP Image Awards. The film won Outstanding Picture of the Year with Viola Davis winning Outstanding Actress and Octavia Spencer taking home the Outstanding Supporting Actress award. Taylor lost to "Jumping the Broom's" Salim Akil for Best Director because apparently, it's a better picture than "The Help!"
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 43rd Annual NAACP Image Awards (To visit other award-giving bodies, check out our Awards Avenue coverage right here)
Motion Picture
Outstanding Motion Picture
.Jumping the Broom. (TriStar Pictures)
.Pariah. (Focus Features)
.The First Grader. (National Geographic
Entertainment)
*** .The Help. (DreamWorks Pictures/
Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
.Tower Heist. (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Eddie Murphy . .Tower Heist.
(Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne . .Contagion.
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
*** Laz Alonso . .Jumping the Broom.
(TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo . .The First...
Here's the complete list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 43rd Annual NAACP Image Awards (To visit other award-giving bodies, check out our Awards Avenue coverage right here)
Motion Picture
Outstanding Motion Picture
.Jumping the Broom. (TriStar Pictures)
.Pariah. (Focus Features)
.The First Grader. (National Geographic
Entertainment)
*** .The Help. (DreamWorks Pictures/
Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
.Tower Heist. (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Eddie Murphy . .Tower Heist.
(Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne . .Contagion.
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
*** Laz Alonso . .Jumping the Broom.
(TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo . .The First...
- 2/19/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
"The Help" continued its hot streak during awards season by being the big winner at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards. The DreamWorks movie took home acting trophies for Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, plus Outstanding Motion Picture.
The complete list of winners:
Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Motion Picture
"Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
"Pariah" (Focus Features)
"The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
"The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
"Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Eddie Murphy - "Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne - "Contagion" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Laz Alonso - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo - "The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
Vin Diesel - "Fast Five" (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Adepero Oduye - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Emma Stone - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
Paula Patton - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Viola Davis - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
Zoë Saldana -...
The complete list of winners:
Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Motion Picture
"Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
"Pariah" (Focus Features)
"The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
"The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
"Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Eddie Murphy - "Tower Heist" (Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne - "Contagion" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Laz Alonso - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo - "The First Grader" (National Geographic Entertainment)
Vin Diesel - "Fast Five" (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Adepero Oduye - "Pariah" (Focus Features)
Emma Stone - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
Paula Patton - "Jumping the Broom" (TriStar Pictures)
Viola Davis - "The Help" (DreamWorks Pictures)
Zoë Saldana -...
- 2/18/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Relax, this wasn’t an awards ceremony to honor the cinematic achievement that is Grown Ups. (That’s what the MTV Movie Awards is for!) Rather, it’s Aarp: The Magazine’s 11th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards, an event which rewards outstanding acting, directing and writing of filmmakers 50 and over and the movies your parents really, really liked over the past year. (Sorry, Shame!)
Echoing the Golden Globes, The Descendants and The Artist will walk away the victors at the Feb. 6 ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, as they’ve been named Best Movie for Grownups and Best Comedy for Grownups,...
Echoing the Golden Globes, The Descendants and The Artist will walk away the victors at the Feb. 6 ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, as they’ve been named Best Movie for Grownups and Best Comedy for Grownups,...
- 1/20/2012
- by Aly Semigran
- EW.com - PopWatch
Add another accolade to the pile already collected by "The Descendants" this awards season: the Alexander Payne/George Clooney collaboration has been named Best Movie in Aarp: The Magazine's 11th annual Movies for Grownups Awards. During a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Feb. 6, Glenn Close will be awarded the Best Actress award for "Albert Nobbs," and Oliver Litondo will be named Best Actor for "The First Grader." Christopher Plummer nabs Best Supporting Actor honors for "Beginners," Vanessa Redgrave is Best Supporting Actress for "Coriolanus" and Stephen Daldry gets the Best...
- 1/20/2012
- by Kimberly Potts
- The Wrap
NAACP Image Awards nominations also recognize 'Modern Family' and Bruno Mars.
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: Getty
Beyoncé, Chris Brown and "The Help" star Emma Stone are among the A-listers who have nabbed NAACP Image Awards nods this year.
New mama Beyoncé — nominated for Best Music Video ("I Was Here"), Outstanding Song ("Best Thing I Never Had") and Outstanding Album (4) — is also up for Outstanding Female Artist with her "Dreamgirls" co-star Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Ledisi and Mary J. Blige.
Chris Brown, Common, Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars and Anthony Hamilton will compete for Outstanding Male Artist. Diggy Simmons and Mindless Behavior are two of the newcomers in the Outstanding New Artist category, alongside Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Wynter Gordon and Committed.
"The Help" is up for Outstanding Motion Picture against "Tower Heist," "Jumping the Broom," "Pariah" and "The First Grader." Eddie Murphy ("Tower Heist"), Laurence Fishburne ("Contagion...
By Jocelyn Vena
Beyoncé
Photo: Getty
Beyoncé, Chris Brown and "The Help" star Emma Stone are among the A-listers who have nabbed NAACP Image Awards nods this year.
New mama Beyoncé — nominated for Best Music Video ("I Was Here"), Outstanding Song ("Best Thing I Never Had") and Outstanding Album (4) — is also up for Outstanding Female Artist with her "Dreamgirls" co-star Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Ledisi and Mary J. Blige.
Chris Brown, Common, Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars and Anthony Hamilton will compete for Outstanding Male Artist. Diggy Simmons and Mindless Behavior are two of the newcomers in the Outstanding New Artist category, alongside Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Wynter Gordon and Committed.
"The Help" is up for Outstanding Motion Picture against "Tower Heist," "Jumping the Broom," "Pariah" and "The First Grader." Eddie Murphy ("Tower Heist"), Laurence Fishburne ("Contagion...
- 1/20/2012
- MTV Music News
The Descendants has been named the Best Movie for Grown-Ups at the 2012 Aarp Magazine Awards.
Glenn Close has picked up the Best Actress trophy for her gender-bending role in period drama Albert Nobbs and The First Grader's Oliver Litondo claims the Best Actor prize.
Other winners include Vanessa Redgrave (Best Supporting Actress for Coriolanus), Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor for Beginners), Stephen Daldry (Best Director for Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud) and Woody Allen (Best Writer).
Oscars favourite The Artist has been named Best Comedy for Grown-Ups, while Meryl Streep's onscreen romance with Jim Broadbent in The Iron Lady has landed the Best Grown-Up Love Story award.
Glenn Close has picked up the Best Actress trophy for her gender-bending role in period drama Albert Nobbs and The First Grader's Oliver Litondo claims the Best Actor prize.
Other winners include Vanessa Redgrave (Best Supporting Actress for Coriolanus), Christopher Plummer (Best Supporting Actor for Beginners), Stephen Daldry (Best Director for Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud) and Woody Allen (Best Writer).
Oscars favourite The Artist has been named Best Comedy for Grown-Ups, while Meryl Streep's onscreen romance with Jim Broadbent in The Iron Lady has landed the Best Grown-Up Love Story award.
- 1/19/2012
- WENN
Nominees for The 43Rd NAACP Image Awards were announced today. Winners will be announced during a live telecast on NBC Friday, February 17 beginning at 8 Pm. The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of film, television, music and literature and honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Here are the nominees in films and television: Motion Picture Outstanding Motion Picture “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures) “Pariah” (Focus Features) “The First Grader” (National Geographic Entertainment) “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/ Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures) “Tower Heist” (Universal Pictures) Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Eddie Murphy – “Tower Heist” (Universal Pictures) Laurence Fishburne – “Contagion” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Laz Alonso – “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures) Oliver Litondo – “The First Grader” (National Geographic Entertainment) Vin Diesel – “Fast Five” (Universal Pictures) Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Adepero Oduye – “Pariah” (Focus Features) Emma Stone – “The Help...
- 1/19/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
A short film raising funds for homelessness charities aims to tell the real story of people living on the streets
In a dank side street off Covent Garden's piazza in London, an elderly man sways along the pavement, a battered carrier bag in one hand, a white stick in the other. A little boy with a cut lip creeps behind him. You suspect the tourists passing by might not notice them if it were not for the camera crew following the pair.
The Truth About Stanley, a short film being made to raise funds for the Big Issue and Anchor House, a hostel and life skills centre for homeless adults in east London, charts the friendship between two characters living rough on the capital's streets. Stanley, played by Kenyan star Oliver Litondo (recently seen in The First Grader), takes 10-year-old runaway Sam, played by Raif Clarke, under his wing, captivating...
In a dank side street off Covent Garden's piazza in London, an elderly man sways along the pavement, a battered carrier bag in one hand, a white stick in the other. A little boy with a cut lip creeps behind him. You suspect the tourists passing by might not notice them if it were not for the camera crew following the pair.
The Truth About Stanley, a short film being made to raise funds for the Big Issue and Anchor House, a hostel and life skills centre for homeless adults in east London, charts the friendship between two characters living rough on the capital's streets. Stanley, played by Kenyan star Oliver Litondo (recently seen in The First Grader), takes 10-year-old runaway Sam, played by Raif Clarke, under his wing, captivating...
- 12/8/2011
- by Rachel Williams
- The Guardian - Film News
Oliver Litondo, The First Grader The five nominees for the Gothams' Festival Genius Audience Award have been announced. They are: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, Buck, Girlfriend, The First Grader, and Wild Horse, Wild Ride. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, Constance Marks' documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey traces the life and career of Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Sesame Street's Elmo. Cindy Meehl's Buck is a documentary about Buck Brannaman, the man who inspired the book The Horse Whisperer and the ensuing Robert Redford-directed movie. Justin Lerner's Girlfriend revolves around a young man with Down's Syndrome who financially assists his object of desire, a woman stuck in an abusive relationship. Set in Kenya, Justin Chadwick's The First Grader tells the story of an eighty-something ethnic Mau Mau (Oliver Litondo) eager to learn to read and write. Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus' documentary Wild Horse,...
- 11/8/2011
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
"It's a lasting regret of mine that he wasn't around to see the finished film, but I'm happy at least that his story has been told."
Director Justin Chadwick is lamenting the loss of Kimani Maruge, a veteran Kenyan farmer whose personal history he has turned into an African epic of a film.
The First Grader, which has already won numerous festival awards around the world, tells how, when Maruge heard on the radio in 2003 that his government were offering free education for all, he knocked on the door of the local primary school and demanded to take his place next to the six-year-olds - despite being in his eighties at the time.
By the time the film-script came to Chadwick, whose previous projects include The Other Boleyn Girl on the big screen and the hit BBC drama Bleak House, Maruge, played by Oliver Litondo with Naomie Harris as his indefatigable teacher,...
Director Justin Chadwick is lamenting the loss of Kimani Maruge, a veteran Kenyan farmer whose personal history he has turned into an African epic of a film.
The First Grader, which has already won numerous festival awards around the world, tells how, when Maruge heard on the radio in 2003 that his government were offering free education for all, he knocked on the door of the local primary school and demanded to take his place next to the six-year-olds - despite being in his eighties at the time.
By the time the film-script came to Chadwick, whose previous projects include The Other Boleyn Girl on the big screen and the hit BBC drama Bleak House, Maruge, played by Oliver Litondo with Naomie Harris as his indefatigable teacher,...
- 7/13/2011
- by Caroline Frost
- Huffington Post
The story of an 84-year-old Kenyan man's fight for education and equality.
British TV director follows his underwhelming but enjoyable theatrical debut The Other Boleyn Girl with the compelling true story of the oldest person to ever start primary school. The director is aided by the evocative Kenyan location, a raft of charming children and committed performances by Naomie Harris and newcomer (latecomer?) Oliver Litondo. Chadwick never quite transcends the trappings of a Sunday afternoon TV movie, but his tale is no less...
British TV director follows his underwhelming but enjoyable theatrical debut The Other Boleyn Girl with the compelling true story of the oldest person to ever start primary school. The director is aided by the evocative Kenyan location, a raft of charming children and committed performances by Naomie Harris and newcomer (latecomer?) Oliver Litondo. Chadwick never quite transcends the trappings of a Sunday afternoon TV movie, but his tale is no less...
- 6/29/2011
- by David Graham
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It's hard to imagine that Naomie Harris, a stunning, confident actress who's now in the running to play the next Bond girl, was once a self-confessed nerd.
"I was always a nerd and a bookworm at school - I worked a bit too hard," she says with a wry smile.
The work paid off though. At 34, Harris is grounded and intelligent, with a degree from Cambridge University to her name and a bright acting future.
Playing a sexy sidekick in a James Bond movie used to be considered career suicide but these days they're stronger parts for feisty actresses, including Gemma Arterton and Eva Green, who go on to greater success.
Harris, who came to fame in the 2002 TV adaptation of Zadie Smith's White Teeth, before being almost unrecognisable as a voodoo priestess in two Pirates Of The Caribbean films, confirmed she is in the running for the role...
"I was always a nerd and a bookworm at school - I worked a bit too hard," she says with a wry smile.
The work paid off though. At 34, Harris is grounded and intelligent, with a degree from Cambridge University to her name and a bright acting future.
Playing a sexy sidekick in a James Bond movie used to be considered career suicide but these days they're stronger parts for feisty actresses, including Gemma Arterton and Eva Green, who go on to greater success.
Harris, who came to fame in the 2002 TV adaptation of Zadie Smith's White Teeth, before being almost unrecognisable as a voodoo priestess in two Pirates Of The Caribbean films, confirmed she is in the running for the role...
- 6/24/2011
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
An interesting true-life story about a Kenyan in his 80s who insists on his right to education has become a somewhat sappy and unsubtle film
A true story from Kenya has unfortunately become a slightly hackneyed and insipid feelgood movie. In 2004, Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge, here played by Oliver Litondo, was an 84-year-old man who had never gone to school; he responded to the government's announcement of free universal education by calmly presenting himself at a primary school and demanding to enroll. He even had an adult-sized uniform with big baggy shorts. Maruge was to get himself an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest primary school pupil. Yet Justin Chadwick's movie shows old wounds being reopened. Maruge is a former Mau Mau fighter, tortured by the British in the 1950s. Government administrators and politicians are nervous of these memories being reawakened; they are suspicious of...
A true story from Kenya has unfortunately become a slightly hackneyed and insipid feelgood movie. In 2004, Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge, here played by Oliver Litondo, was an 84-year-old man who had never gone to school; he responded to the government's announcement of free universal education by calmly presenting himself at a primary school and demanding to enroll. He even had an adult-sized uniform with big baggy shorts. Maruge was to get himself an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest primary school pupil. Yet Justin Chadwick's movie shows old wounds being reopened. Maruge is a former Mau Mau fighter, tortured by the British in the 1950s. Government administrators and politicians are nervous of these memories being reawakened; they are suspicious of...
- 6/24/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Former Mau Mau freedom fighter Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge was 84 when he first went to school. Now, a new film celebrates his campaign to raise the profile of primary education in Kenya
The venue for the film's premiere was a tent erected over the hard-packed earth of the school playground. Instead of a red carpet, there was a dusty green tarpaulin, and the white plastic chairs were a little unsteady. Two classrooms had temporary screens set up, with the rough-hewn wooden desks piled up outside, under a tree.
Never can an audience have been so riveted. For the children of the village of Kisames, in the Ngong Hills, an hour's drive south of Nairobi, the capital, this was the first sight of a screen. "Who has seen a movie before?" asked Justin Chadwick, the director, of the 200 or so youngsters. Not one hand went up. Though they were newcomers to cinema,...
The venue for the film's premiere was a tent erected over the hard-packed earth of the school playground. Instead of a red carpet, there was a dusty green tarpaulin, and the white plastic chairs were a little unsteady. Two classrooms had temporary screens set up, with the rough-hewn wooden desks piled up outside, under a tree.
Never can an audience have been so riveted. For the children of the village of Kisames, in the Ngong Hills, an hour's drive south of Nairobi, the capital, this was the first sight of a screen. "Who has seen a movie before?" asked Justin Chadwick, the director, of the 200 or so youngsters. Not one hand went up. Though they were newcomers to cinema,...
- 6/19/2011
- by Tracy McVeigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Varese Sarabande Records has announced the details for the soundtrack release of the drama The First Grader. The album includes Alex Heffes‘ original score from the movie. Heffes’ music features evocative vocals recorded in Kenya. The album will be released on June 14, 2011. To pre-order the soundtrack, visit Amazon. The First Grader directed by Justin Chadwick and starring Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo is based on the true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan man’s battle to get an education. The film is currently playing in select theaters. For more information, visit the official movie webpage.
Here’s the album track list:
1. Maruge Digs (2:20)
2. Courage Performed by Vieux Farka Touré (4:19)
3. The School (2:40)
4. Maruge Buys His Uniform (1:56)
5. Buried Memories (3:49)
6. The Raid (2:47)
7. I Had A Family (3:14) 8
8. Teach Me To Read (2:30)
9. Maruge’s Fame Spreads (2:15)
10. The Execution (3:48)
11. We Want Our Cut (3:14)
12. The Childrens...
Here’s the album track list:
1. Maruge Digs (2:20)
2. Courage Performed by Vieux Farka Touré (4:19)
3. The School (2:40)
4. Maruge Buys His Uniform (1:56)
5. Buried Memories (3:49)
6. The Raid (2:47)
7. I Had A Family (3:14) 8
8. Teach Me To Read (2:30)
9. Maruge’s Fame Spreads (2:15)
10. The Execution (3:48)
11. We Want Our Cut (3:14)
12. The Childrens...
- 5/19/2011
- by filmmusicreporter
- Film Music Reporter
“Reading will end poverty. Free education for all.” ~ Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge, The First Grader
Have you ever wanted something that would change your life that should never have been placed beyond your reach in the first place? Can you imagine for a moment being 84 and not knowing how to read? What would you do? This is the premise for the remarkable film The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick and based on a true story.
Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge is an 84 year old veteran Mau Mau freedom fighter who lives in a village in Kenya, Africa. When the Kenyan government declares that it will offer free education for all, Maruge decides that he will finally get the education that was denied him. He decides to go to First Grade at an isolated primary school so that he can learn to read. Once, he fought for his country’s right for freedom from colonialism.
Have you ever wanted something that would change your life that should never have been placed beyond your reach in the first place? Can you imagine for a moment being 84 and not knowing how to read? What would you do? This is the premise for the remarkable film The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick and based on a true story.
Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge is an 84 year old veteran Mau Mau freedom fighter who lives in a village in Kenya, Africa. When the Kenyan government declares that it will offer free education for all, Maruge decides that he will finally get the education that was denied him. He decides to go to First Grade at an isolated primary school so that he can learn to read. Once, he fought for his country’s right for freedom from colonialism.
- 5/14/2011
- Cinelinx
Title: The First Grader Director: Justin Chadwick Starring: Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo, Tony Kgoroge, Nick Reding, Vusi Kunene, John Sibi-Okumu How will hardcore birthers (I’m looking in your direction Orly Taitz, though wincing to do so) read dark and sinister intent into the uplifting true story of The First Grader, given that it’s set in Kenya, contains the words “birth certificate” and even, in its closing, winkingly evokes the possibility of someone like Barack Obama, whose ancestors call the country home, rising to the presidency of the United States? Who knows, though I’m sure it may spawn a particularly warped conspiracy theory on some Internet message board somewhere. For the sane among...
- 5/14/2011
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(May 2011)
Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Written by: Ann Peacock
Starring: Oliver Litondo, Naomie Harris, Vusi Kunene, Tony Kgoroge and Israel Makoe
The true-life drama “The First Grader” could have easily veered into being another patronizing, Western-made treatment of Africans in the “bravely suffering” mold but, thanks to Ann Peacock’s focused screenplay and Justin Chadwick’s sensitive direction, the movie achieves a poignant, humanist sincerity. The Kenyan government’s ambitious 2003 initiative guaranteeing free primary school education to all its citizens is this story’s catalyst.
The goal of the government initiative, of course, was to give the nation’s poorer children the head-start advantage of reading and writing skills. But when the illiterate 84-year-old Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) shows up for his free education, he throws everyone — from bureaucrats and administrators to one local schoolteacher — completely off guard.
Hailing from the fiercely resilient...
(May 2011)
Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Written by: Ann Peacock
Starring: Oliver Litondo, Naomie Harris, Vusi Kunene, Tony Kgoroge and Israel Makoe
The true-life drama “The First Grader” could have easily veered into being another patronizing, Western-made treatment of Africans in the “bravely suffering” mold but, thanks to Ann Peacock’s focused screenplay and Justin Chadwick’s sensitive direction, the movie achieves a poignant, humanist sincerity. The Kenyan government’s ambitious 2003 initiative guaranteeing free primary school education to all its citizens is this story’s catalyst.
The goal of the government initiative, of course, was to give the nation’s poorer children the head-start advantage of reading and writing skills. But when the illiterate 84-year-old Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) shows up for his free education, he throws everyone — from bureaucrats and administrators to one local schoolteacher — completely off guard.
Hailing from the fiercely resilient...
- 5/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(May 2011)
Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Written by: Ann Peacock
Starring: Oliver Litondo, Naomie Harris, Vusi Kunene, Tony Kgoroge and Israel Makoe
The true-life drama “The First Grader” could have easily veered into being another patronizing, Western-made treatment of Africans in the “bravely suffering” mold but, thanks to Ann Peacock’s focused screenplay and Justin Chadwick’s sensitive direction, the movie achieves a poignant, humanist sincerity. The Kenyan government’s ambitious 2003 initiative guaranteeing free primary school education to all its citizens is this story’s catalyst.
The goal of the government initiative, of course, was to give the nation’s poorer children the head-start advantage of reading and writing skills. But when the illiterate 84-year-old Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) shows up for his free education, he throws everyone — from bureaucrats and administrators to one local schoolteacher — completely off guard.
Hailing from the fiercely resilient...
(May 2011)
Directed by: Justin Chadwick
Written by: Ann Peacock
Starring: Oliver Litondo, Naomie Harris, Vusi Kunene, Tony Kgoroge and Israel Makoe
The true-life drama “The First Grader” could have easily veered into being another patronizing, Western-made treatment of Africans in the “bravely suffering” mold but, thanks to Ann Peacock’s focused screenplay and Justin Chadwick’s sensitive direction, the movie achieves a poignant, humanist sincerity. The Kenyan government’s ambitious 2003 initiative guaranteeing free primary school education to all its citizens is this story’s catalyst.
The goal of the government initiative, of course, was to give the nation’s poorer children the head-start advantage of reading and writing skills. But when the illiterate 84-year-old Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) shows up for his free education, he throws everyone — from bureaucrats and administrators to one local schoolteacher — completely off guard.
Hailing from the fiercely resilient...
- 5/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
The First Grader, a Kenyan film we’ve written about a few times already on this site, is getting a theatrical release in the USA.
National Geographic, who also picked up and released Desert Flower here in the USA, will release The First Grader on May 13th, in a limited theatrical release.
The film, directed by Justin Chadwick, and staring Brit Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo, centers on an old villager, who insists on attending school so he can learn to read, inspiring others around him to realize that it’s never too late to dream.
MsWOO saw it at the London Film Festival last fall, and reviewed it. You can read her lukewarm thoughts Here.
Watch the trailer for the film below:...
National Geographic, who also picked up and released Desert Flower here in the USA, will release The First Grader on May 13th, in a limited theatrical release.
The film, directed by Justin Chadwick, and staring Brit Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo, centers on an old villager, who insists on attending school so he can learn to read, inspiring others around him to realize that it’s never too late to dream.
MsWOO saw it at the London Film Festival last fall, and reviewed it. You can read her lukewarm thoughts Here.
Watch the trailer for the film below:...
- 4/12/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
This is the daily news vodcast from the London Film Festival which hosts Black Swan, 127 Hours, Another Year, Never Let Me Go, Let Me In and West is West amongst its premieres this week. On Day 14 of the Festival, Lisa Cholodenko, director of The Kids Are All Right, gave a Masterclass at BFI Southbank, supported by Variety. In the West End, the festival held the Film On The Square UK premiere of Biutiful, directed by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu - at which both he and star Javier Bardem were in attendance. Also on the red carpet the creators of Howl, featuring James Franco as Allen Ginsberg, were on hand to discuss their work. Finally Day 14 featured the Windows 7 Gala UK premiere screening of The First Grader. starring Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo.
- 10/31/2010
- by Dan Higgins
- Pure Movies
Inspiring and heart-warming are words that will easily be pegged to the description of The First Grader. The story of an 84 year old Kenyan man enrolling in primary school is, after all, the sort of feel-good thing you expect to hear after all the bad news has been dispensed with, the sort of story that puts a smile on your face and helps you forget about all that terribly depressing stuff until the next news bulletin.
With a solid performance from Oliver Litondo, a former TV news anchor, playing Kimani Maruge, the illiterate old man on a quest for education; an earnest performance from Naomie Harris as Teacher Jane, ardent champion of Maruge’s cause; and a school full of real Kenyan pupils playing themselves (special kudos to little Agnes Simaloi and Kamau Mbaya) there’s a lot to smile and cheer about in The First Grader.
The official blurb reads:
In a small,...
With a solid performance from Oliver Litondo, a former TV news anchor, playing Kimani Maruge, the illiterate old man on a quest for education; an earnest performance from Naomie Harris as Teacher Jane, ardent champion of Maruge’s cause; and a school full of real Kenyan pupils playing themselves (special kudos to little Agnes Simaloi and Kamau Mbaya) there’s a lot to smile and cheer about in The First Grader.
The official blurb reads:
In a small,...
- 10/27/2010
- by MsWOO
- ShadowAndAct
Rachid Bouchareb’s drama Hors La Loi about the Algerian revolution caused controversy at this year's Cannes Film Festival, prompting a demonstration and armed police on the streets. Nevertheless, the Gulf state of Qatar's 2nd Doha Tribeca Film Festival will open with that film and close with The First Grader. (National Geographic picked up the U.S. rights after it won the runner-up audience prize at Toronto.) Here's the full list of films showing at Dtff from October 26-30: Opening Night Film Outside the Law (Hors la loi), directed by Rachid Bouchareb, screenplay Rachid Bouchareb, Olivier Lorelle. (France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Belgium) - Feature Narrative Three Algerian brothers who lost their family home in France's 1945 attack on the market town, Sétif, scatter across the globe. Each embarks on a different wild adventure -- one heads off to Indochina, another gets involved with the Pigalle boxing club underworld, the third...
- 9/26/2010
- by TIM ADLER
- Deadline London
Justin Chadwick will direct the film "The First Grader." According to The Hollywood Reporter, ex-BBC Films chief David Thompson's Origin Pictures is producing alongside Richard Harding and Sam Feuer for Sixth Sense Productions.The script was written by Ann Peacock and stars Naomie Harris and newcomer Oliver Litondo.Based on a true story, the film tells the story of an elderly Kenyan man who signs up for school alongside 6-year-olds following a government promise of free education for everyone.
- 12/2/2009
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Naomie Harris has climbed aboard Justin Chadwick’s Kenya-set drama “The First Grader,” based on the true story of 84-year-old Kenyan Kimani Nganga Maruge, who tried to take advantage of a Kenyan government initiative in order to provide free elementary school education for all. At first denied access to go to the school with the 6-year-old first-graders, Maruge eventually took the government to court. Harris will play Jane Obinchu, the teacher who supports Maruge’s battle to gain admission to the education program. Maruge will be played by newcomer Oliver Litondo and filming has begun on location in Kenya.
- 11/30/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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