Movie Review: The First Grader

Written by Elka Schaimberg
Monday, 19 December 2011 09:38

An interesting true-life drama about an 84-year-old man who insists on his right to an education. Maruge (Oliver Litondo), a Kenyan native who once fought for the liberation of his country, is now desperate to get the education he was so long denied. He approaches a small remote mountain-top primary school in the Kenyan bush, and applies to join the hundreds of first-graders starting their education.

Local parents of the already overcrowded school don’t want to waste a seat on the old man, but head teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris) is moved by his passionate plea and courageously supports his struggle. Together, they face fierce opposition from parents and officials and attract attention from the media. Maruge manages to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest primary-school pupil.

The film moves between Maruge’s memories of the rebellion and his later days in a dusty classroom amongst a bunch of six-year-olds. In his adult-sized uniform, big baggy shorts and walking stick, Maruge remains motivated and determined to learn to read and write.

It’s wonderful to see Kenyans embracing a story of their own, and, like many of the school kids in the movie, Maruge is also played by a native Kenyan.

The First Grader definitely falls short in some areas, but overall it tells a heart-warming and inspiring tale, offering viewers a lot to celebrate.