The First Grader
Synopsis
In a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush, hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for the free education newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. He is Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied - even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds. Moved by his passionate plea, head teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), supports his struggle to gain admission and together they face fierce opposition from parents and officials who don’t want to waste a precious school place on such an old man. Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior. Through Maruge’s journey, we are taken back to the shocking untold story of British colonial rule 50 years earlier where Maruge fought for the freedom of his country, eventually ending up in the extreme and 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 what he believes is his right in order to overcome the burdens of his past. It is a triumphant testimony to the transforming force of education. The filming process itself was quite extraordinary, as the children in the film – who are in many ways the stars – had never even seen a film or television set before let alone been involved in the filming process. Their involvement in the shoot was a totally novel experience for them and their enthusiasm and energy is captured beautifully on screen.
Director's Bio
Justin Chadwick was born in Salford, UK, brought up in Manchester and Bolton. His mum is an art teacher. Justin joined Bolton Little Theatre and played Billy Casper in ‘Kes’ at 11. He then joined Manchester youth theatre and played Jan in the world premier of Ian Serraillier’s The Silver Sword at Oldham Coliseum at 14. Justin graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Performing Arts Drama from Leicester. Throughout college he was part of NSDF (National Student Drama Festival). Justin is an award winning theatre, television and film director who most recently completed shooting THE FIRST GRADER, starring Naomie Harris for Origin Pictures / Sixth Sense Productions for BBC Films and the UK Film Council. His first feature film was the highly-acclaimed The Other Boleyn Girl, which premiered at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival, starring Eric Bana, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Previous to this Justin set-up the mini-series, Bleak House, and directed nine of the fifteen episodes, which were broadcast by the BBC in the UK, and by PBS in the United States as part of their Masterpiece Theatre series. He was nominated for the Prime-time Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special; the Royal Television Society Award for Breakout Performance Behind the Scenes; and, the BAFTA Award for Best Direction for his work on Bleak House, which was the Best Drama Serial winner at the British Academy Television Awards 2006. Bleak House was nominated for two Golden Globes, three Satellite Awards and won at the Royal Television Society Awards, the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the Television Critics Awards. Coming from a background in acting, he started his directorial career in the theatre with award winning productions including Molieres Hypochondriac at the Assembley rooms during the Edinburgh Festival. He made his television debut with the 1993 television movie Family Style starring Ewan McGregor, after which he directed and performed in Shakespeare Shorts, a series that explored the history of Shakespearean characters and presented them in key scenes from the plays in which they appeared. He directed episodes of East Enders, Byker Grove, The Bill, Spooks, and set up the series’ for Red Cap and Murder Prevention. Justin is also developing several projects including the screen version of the Daphne du Maurier novel, Jamaica Inn, for Focus Films, he is writing the adaptation for the multi-award winning novel, The Tenderness of Wolves, for Pink Sands Films / Film 4, which he will also direct, and he is attached to the Ron Bass script, The Godmother, with Unanimous Pictures producing, based on the novel by Carrie Adams.
