One of the movies which I watched and was so inspired by is the film; 'The First Grader'. I had seen the trailer when it premiered in 2010 and told myself I'd go see it but somehow I didn't and when it came on Mseries yesterday, I said to myself, this is going to make my day! And it did. It is a truly inspiring story.
Synopsis
A 84yr old military veteran in a remote Kenyan village decides to go to school for the first time. Free education has just been newly granted by the government and Maruge (Oliver Litondo) has decided that he must be get an education. So he went to the village school and got turned down by the head teacher Jane (Naomie Harris) the first time saying the primary school is for children only.
Maruge cut his trousers into shorts and went again the next day, demanding to be accepted, as the government said the free education was for all. Teacher Jane reluctantly agrees and tries to sit him at the back of the class but he claims his sight isn't good and he won't learn anything seated that far from the board. So, Maruge gets to sit in front of the class and learning the alphabets begins, to his excitement.
Anger and resentment is stirred in the villagers however at Maruge's acceptance into the school and the publicity it garners. After he and teacher Jane are interviewed and had his picture taken by reporters and journalists, the villagers storm the school demanding their cut from the money the reporters paid to them, as they believe he is doing it for the fame and money.
"He will use up all the resources meant for our children"
"What does he want an education for"
"He is doing it for fame"
...and so on they said, but old man Maruge kept his vision in sight, his chin up and trudged on everyday to the village primary school with his walking stick. He believes that an education is the only way to let go of the past and its burdens.
As the news gets reported all over the country, Maruge is sent away from the school and made to go an adult school but he finds that the people there are not there to learn and he returns to the village school. In a bid to keep Maruge in school, teacher Jane makes him her teaching assistant, and decides to teach him to read after school. This results in her getting threatening phone calls and even her husband has to come back home to try to talk sense into her about letting the old man leave the school. He is also receiving calls saying his wife is unfaithful. She however refuses to listen and she gets transferred to another school.
This sends Maruge on a journey to the state capital, Nairobi where he demands to see the chairman of the Education Ministry and he barges in upon the board in a meeting. Maruge then makes a heart moving plea to them a return his teacher and shows them his back where his flesh was scarred from the beatings while imprisoned by the British colonials.
A shocking recount of the torture and inhuman treatment he suffered at the hands of the hands of the British colonials 50 years prior is recounted throughout the movie.
Teacher Jane is returned to the school and in a touching scene, Maruge and the students rush out of their classes to welcome her.
At the end of the film, the radio presenter announces that Maruge is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest person to go to primary school and he will be going to the United States of America where he speak at United Nations on the importance of education.
Maruge's Quotes
"The power is in the pen".
"Education is key".
"I shall learn till my ears are sore"
Movie Trailer
Based on an inspiring true story, the movie is directed by Justin Chadwick, (The Other Boleyn Girl).
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