The First Grader
Encyclopedia
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 Kenya
n 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".
Producers Sam Feuer and Richard Harris had previously released the short documentary film
The First Grader: The True Story of Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge (2006).
Justin Chadwick
Justin Chadwick is an English actor and television and film director.Chadwick began acting at the age of eleven. He graduated from the University of Leicester and in 1991 made his screen debut in London Kills Me...
, starring Naomie Harris
Naomie Harris
Naomie Melanie Harris is an English screen actress. She is best known for her starring role as Selena in 28 Days Later, as well as her supporting turn as Tia Dalma/Calypso in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films...
, Oliver Litondo, and Tony Kgoroge, and based on the true story of Kimani Maruge
Kimani Maruge
Kimani Ng'ang'a Maruge holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to start primary school—he enrolled in the first grade on January 12th 2004, aged 84...
, a Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n 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
Rift Valley
In order of specificity, Rift Valley can refer to:*a rift valley in general*the Great Rift Valley*the Rift Valley fever*the valley of the East African Rift*Rift Valley Province, Kenya and border with Uganda...
in Kenya, despite earlier reports that it would be filmed in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Director Justin Chadwick
Justin Chadwick
Justin Chadwick is an English actor and television and film director.Chadwick began acting at the age of eleven. He graduated from the University of Leicester and in 1991 made his screen debut in London Kills Me...
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".
Producers Sam Feuer and Richard Harris had previously released the short documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The First Grader: The True Story of Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge (2006).