The First Grader - 3 smiles

“The First Grader” is a dramatic re-enactment of 84-year old Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge’s efforts to learn how to read. When the Kenyan government made education available in 2003, Maruge, an illiterate member of the Kikuyu tribe, enrolled in a small rural primary school, claiming it was his right. In doing so, he becomes an inspiration and a role model. He is later invited to address the United Nations in 2005, but in his own country, his efforts are controversial. Director Justin Chadwick, who provides a textured glimpse of Kenya’s land and people, tries to honor the uplifting aspects of Maruge’s life while doing justice to its political and social complexities. “The First Grader” is both thought provoking and emotional story, with frequent shifts from past to present. Maruge took part in the Mau Mau uprising against the British in the 1950s. During that time, he was tortured, his family was killed, and he spent years in British-run prison camps. Memories of the brutal years before independence trouble Maruge’s old age. The conflicts of the past resonate in modern Kenya, especially the legacy of tribal conflict. Rather than be proud of Maruge, the politicians (and some of Maruge’s neighbors) are suspicious of his motives and worried about the effect he will have on the children who crowd into the tiny schoolhouse run by Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris). By admitting Maruge to her class and then refusing to reverse her decision, Jane risks her career, her safety and her marriage.

I had the opportunity to listen to producers Richard Harding and Sam Feuer, director Justin Chadwick and actress Naomie Harris talk about making this movie. Harding and Feuer explained that everything started when they read a story in the LA Times about Maruge, who had fought for Kenya’s freedom and years later was still willing to fight for education. When Chadwick got the script in 2009, he went to Kenya to meet with Maruge and he learned about the oath the Mau Mau made to protect the land and that the British were unable to force Maruge to renounce his oath. After deciding to shoot the film in Kenya, Chadwick selected two elementary schools to use as sets and gained permission from parents and village elders to film there. Naomie Harris developed lessons to teach so the children’s reactions would be genuine. In the pivotal role of Maruge, retired Kenyan anchorman Oliver Musila Litondo’s innate dignity is an asset. “The First Grader” offers a balance between humor and tragic gravity and the result is a story sure to stir the hearts of everyone in the audience. 5/13/11