The First Grader

The library frequently receives new DVD's from many different genres and on many different subjects.  I have watched several great films lately but the one that has stuck in my mind is The First Grader.   The film is based on a true story about Meruge,a Kenyan man who starts school when he is 84 years old, after the Kenyan government guarantees free education for everyone.  Meruge is an old Mau Mau veteran who fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance for an education that was so long denied to him, even if it means sitting in a classroom next to many six year olds.  Jane, the classroom teacher, supports his struggle to gain admission into a "school for children" because she is moved by his passion to learn how to read.  Maruge and Teacher Jane face fierce opposition from both parents and school officials who don't feel that the preciousness of school should be wasted on an old man.  The film is beautifully made and through Meruge's musings, the viewer gets to see the shocking story of British colonial rule fifty years earlier when Maruge fought for the freedom of his country, eventually ending up in the extreme and harsh conditions of the British detention camps.  The film was produced by National Geographic Entertainment and was an official selection at the 2010 Tulluride Film Festival, the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2010 London Film Festival.  It is truly a heart-warming and inspiring story of a man and his fight to overcome the burden of his past.