The First Grader (2010)

The true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.

Director:

Justin Chadwick

Writer:

Ann Peacock

Stars:

Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo, Tony Kgoroge

17 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Naomie Harris	...	Jane Obinchu
Oliver Litondo	...	Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge
Tony Kgoroge	...	Charles Obinchu
Alfred Munyua	...	Teacher Alfred
Shoki Mokgapa	...	Teacher Elizabeth
Vusi Kunene	...	Mr. Kipruto (as Vusumuzi Michael Kunene)
Agnes Simaloi	...	Agnes
Kamau Mbaya	...	Kamau Chege
Emily Njoki	...	Young Maruge's Wife
Lwanda Jawar	...	Young Maruge
Dan 'Churchill' Ndambuki	...	DJ Masha (as Daniel Ndambuki 'Churchill')
Hannah Wacera	...	Maruge's Daughter
John Kimani	...	Maruge's Baby Son
Macharia Kamau	...	DJ's PA
Abubakar Mwenda	...	Boie

Storyline

Set in a mountain village in Kenya the film tells the remarkable true and uplifting story of a proud old Mau Mau veteran who is determined to seize his last chance to learn to read and write - and so ends up joining a class alongside six year-olds. Together he and his young teacher face fierce resistance, but ultimately they win through - and also find a new way of overcoming the burdens of the colonial past.

---

Plot Keywords:

84 year old | freedom | class | mau mau | teacher | 

---

Taglines:

It's never too late to dream.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some disturbing violent content and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK USA Kenya

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 June 2011 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Der älteste Schüler der Welt

Filming Locations:

Kenya

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$20,437 (USA) (13 May 2011)

Gross:

$330,533 (USA) (29 July 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, UK Film Council, Videovision Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tony Kgoroge is a frequent collaborator with director Justin Chadwick, having also appeared in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), another film Chadwick directed.

---

Quotes

Jane Obinchu: Mmzee, they meant for children, not adults.
Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge: No, I heard it on the radio, with my own ears, they said 'everybody'.

---

Crazy Credits

During the initial credits, there is 1. a photo of the real Maruge with some students. 2. a scene with the DJ mentioning Maruge's trip to the UN, and predicting that a Kenyan will ascend to the White House. 3. more scenes of the children at the school

---

Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 20 June 2011 (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Courage
Artist: Vieux Farka Touré (as Vieux Farka Toure) Featuring Issa Bamba & Eric Herman
Composer: Eric Herman
Master: Modiba Productions LLC
Publisher: Eric M Herman Publishing
Used by permission.

User Reviews

1st class.

Glorious acting by the leads, a charming yet affecting screenplay, taut direction and above all stunning cinematography - all making for a gem of a film.

Due the nature of the story (daww, an 84 year-old guy in Kenya learning his ABCs with all the little kids...) some scenes skim dangerously close to being too cute and sentimental but thankfully the harrowing background to the story and gutwrenching depiction of conflicts in the past, along with the personal tragedy at the heart of the story make this such a moving film. Both Naomie Harris and Oliver Litondo deliver phenomenal performances, the latter in particular I think deserves Oscar consideration.