- TV
The true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan villager and civil war veteran who fights for his right to go to...
The true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan villager and civil war veteran who fights for his right to go to school, and get the education he could never afford. From the director of The Other Boleyn Girl.
"Set in Kenya in 2003... the story of Maruge, an 84-year-old village elder who uses a government initiative to introduce free primary schooling. A former Mau Mau fighter, Maruge’s desire to learn to read and write has been sparked by the arrival of an important letter from the government. However, when he presents himself at the local school gates, he finds head teacher Jane alone in being sympathetic to his cause: her colleagues are unenthusiastic and her superiors appalled." (London International Film Festival).
The film is shot on location at the stunning Kenyan Rift Valley and involves Kenyan kids with no acting backgrounds.
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62 %78 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
76 %2,342 reviewsAudience score rating
"The uplifting true story of world's oldest primary school student, The First Grader reels you in with its human-interest hook, but packs an even more vital agenda: enlisting Kenyan locals to share little-known details of their nation's independence."
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Variety
Variety"A heart-tugging true story."
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Total Film
Total Film"This is wholesome and uplifting in the classic carpe diem manner."
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The Guardian
The Guardian"It's a complex scenario, but this movie winds up telling a straightforward, and slightly sucrose, heartwarming tale."
—The Guardian
The Guardian"Anchored by a lovely performance from Oliver Litondo as Maruge and an exuberant Naomie Harris as Jane Obinchu, the school principal who champions his cause, the result is a tearful, joyful, imperfect, yet nearly irresistible ode to the human spirit."
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Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times"Strikes a perfect balance between humor and tragic gravity."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter"An amazing tru-life story that's Hollywoodised within an inch of its life. A missed opportunity for something really special."
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Empire Magazine
Empire Magazine"The First Grader offers a tumultuous but uplifting journey."
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A.V. Club
A.V. ClubThe First Grader | Details
Award winner- Winner of Best Film at the Palm Beach International Film Festival 2011.
- Rating
- M, contains violence & offensive language
- Genre
- Drama, True Story & Biography
- Country of origin
- UK
