Never too late to go to school
Photos
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The documentary film 'The First Grader' about an octogenerian who enters the first grade when Kenya offers free tuition.
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It’s never too late to go back to school even back to the first grade.
That is the idea behind one of the latest films to be shown at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration (BUEI) as part of the Weekend Film Festival series put on by Bermuda Documentary Film Festival (Bermuda Docs).
‘The First Grader’ is an award-winning crowd-pleaser that has been a hit with festival audiences worldwide. When the government of Kenya announced it would offer free primary education for the first time, an 84-year-old man a veteran of the country’s struggle for independence showed up on the doorstep of a rural school, ready for class. Having never had the benefit of an education, Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (played by Oliver Litondo) figured it was never too late to start.
Based on a remarkable true story, ‘The First Grader’ is an inspiring and uplifting film about the universal human urge to make our lives better. Naomie Harris plays the teacher, Jane, who supports her newest, and oldest, student. The film won top prize at the Pan African film festival, and has also won awards at festivals in Durban, Doha, and throughout the United States.
Bermuda Docs will also screen ‘The End of the Line’, the first major documentary about the devastating impact of overfishing on our oceans.
The film tells us firsthand about the effects of our global love affair with fish as food. It examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi, the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish, and the profound implications of a future world with no fish.
It is filmed across the world from the Strait of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market and features top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials. ‘The End of the Line’ is meant to be a wake-up call to the world.
Two of Bermuda’s leading marine science educators will speak at the screening of the film. Crystal Schultz, education co-ordinator at BUEI, is preparing a display of materials to help filmgoers determine how to better take care of the ocean, while JP Skinner, education officer at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), will conduct a question-and-answer session after the film on the same topic.
The Weekend Film Series is a joint production between Bermuda Docs director Duncan Hall and BUEI.
The films air Sunday at the BUEI. ‘The End of the Line’ will screen at 3pm, while ‘The First Grader’ will screen at 5.15pm. Tickets, $15, can be purchased in the Oceans Gift Shop at the BUEI, or on 297-7314. Trailers of the films can be viewed at www.bermudadocs.com.
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Published Sep 15, 2011 at 8:04 am (Updated Sep 15, 2011 at 8:01 am)