This is a Journal entry by Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Film Tip: Off to School, If We Get Past the Elephants

Post 1

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Last night, we saw a film that blew us away. We were literally transported all around the world, and got inside the heads of the realest people there are: some kids. Some real, ordinary, amazing kids.

If you can see this film, please do. It's called 'Sur le chemin de l'école', or 'On the Way to School', and it's directed by Pascal Plisson. The English-subtitled version is available on Netflix, or - if French is no problem for you - you can see the whole in its original form on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPI37FGx2uY

You'll have to read subtitles, either way, unless you're fluent in Swahili, Tamil, Spanish, and Arabic. But it's worth it.

Yes, Awix, it's an action film. There is amazing horsemanship. Can you ride better than this first grader? There are stunts involving vehicles - no chase scene has ever been more thrilling than watching two little boys try to get their wheelchair-bound brother across that irrigation ditch, or cope with the unravelling tire.

Did you have a hilly walk to school? I did. But North Hills near Pittsburgh wasn't the Atlas Mountains. Did you worry about the neighbourhood's bad dogs? My sister, aged five, was afraid of the overfriendly local red setter. (He knocked her down in his exuberance.) The Kenyan brother and sister have to get past a biker gang of hostile ELEPHANTS.

You get the idea. The movie is awesome. And the scenery rocks.

AFTER you see the film, read these reviews;

1. Amazingly stupid review: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/movies/on-the-way-to-school-a-documentary-by-pascal-plisson.html?_r=0

Ye gods, remind me never to read reviews in the New York Times again. Anybody that cinema-illiterate should be reassigned to the gossip pages.

2. Intelligent review: http://africasacountry.com/film-review-on-the-way-to-school/

From Africa, naturally. Yeah, that's what it's all about. The epic nature of real life.

If you get to see the film, let us know what you think. Me, I haven't seen such great acting since the Bushmen in 'The Gods Must Be Crazy'.

smiley - dragon


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Film Tip: Off to School, If We Get Past the Elephants

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