THE AWAKENING, the first feature from celebrated TV director Nick Murphy (Occupation), stars Rebecca Hall (The Town, Vicky Christina Barcelona), Dominic West (The Wire) and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake). The screenplay was written by Stephen Volk and Nick Murphy.
The Awakening is set in 1921, a post-war world of loss where the bereaved seek solace in spiritualism. Haunted by the death of her fiancé, Florence Cathcart is on a mission to expose all séances as exploitative shams. However, when she is called to an English boarding school to investigate a case of the uncanny, she is gradually forced to confront her scepticism in the most terrifying way, shaking her scientific convictions and her sense of self to the very core.
Inspired by a true story, THE FIRST GRADER was written by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia, Nights in Rodanthe, Kit Kittridge). The film stars Naomie Harris (Ninja Assassin, Pirates of the Caribbean, 28 Days Later), together with newcomer Oliver Litondo.
The film tells the true story of Maruge (Oliver Litondo), an old Mau Mau rebel in his eighties, who knocks on the door of a bush primary school, seeking the free education promised by the Kenyan government to everyone. Maruge fought for Kenya’s liberation and now feels he has earned the chance of the education he was denied for so long – even if it means sitting in a first grade classroom with six-year-olds. The teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris) supports Maruge’s struggle, and together they face the opposition from parents and officials who think it’s a waste educating this old man.
Full of vitality and humour, the film explores the remarkable relationships Maruge builds with his classmates some eighty years his junior. Through his fight to get educated, Maruge and his teacher embark on an inspiring journey for a better future for himself and his country.
THE AWAKENING, the first feature from celebrated TV director Nick Murphy (Occupation), stars Rebecca Hall (The Town, Vicky Christina Barcelona), Dominic West (The Wire) and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake). The screenplay was written by Stephen Volk and Nick Murphy.
Inspired by a true story, THE FIRST GRADER was written by Emmy-winner Ann Peacock (The Chronicles of Narnia, Nights in Rodanthe, Kit Kittridge). The film stars Naomie Harris (Ninja Assassin, Pirates of the Caribbean, 28 Days Later), together with newcomer Oliver Litondo.