| The First Grader | |
|---|---|
British poster |
|
| Directed by | Justin Chadwick |
| Produced by | Sam Feuer Richard Harding Nicola Blacker |
| Written by | Ann Peacock |
| Starring | Oliver Litondo Naomie Harris Tony Kgoroge |
| Cinematography | Rob Hardy |
| Studio | Sixth Sense Productions Origin Pictures BBC Films Blue Sky Studios |
| Distributed by | National Geographic Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 4 September 2010 (Telluride Film Festival) 13 May 2011 (United States) |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
The First Grader is a 2010 film directed by Justin Chadwick, starring Naomie Harris, Oliver Litondo, and Tony Kgoroge, and based on the true story of Kimani Maruge, a Kenyan man who enrolled in elementary education at the age of 84 after the Kenyan government announced universal and free elementary education in 2003. The British-produced film was shot on location in the Rift Valley in Kenya, despite earlier reports that it would be filmed in South Africa. Director Justin Chadwick said: "We could have shot it in South Africa, but Kenya has this unbelievable, inexplicable energy - inherent in the children, and the people we were making the film about".[1]
Producers Sam Feuer and Richard Harding had previously released the short documentary film The First Grader: The True Story of Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge (2006).