On
The Way To School (2013/Icarus DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: C+
All
around the globe, children attend school regardless of race,
religion, age or gender ...from the savannas of Kenya, to the
mountains of Morocco to the plateau of Patagonia. Every day there
are children who walk 10, 20 or more miles day or more just to get to
school. For the thirst for education and knowledge, they are willing
to risk life and limb daily against mother nature and other dangers
because education will be the key to their future, as explored in
Pascal Pisson's On The Way To School (2013).
Everyday
in third world countries (labeled as 'emerging markets'
controversially), there are kids who look forward to going to school
and they feel they even lucky to have and education. To get to
school, everyday they are willing to travel miles over harsh and
dangerous territories, face animals, lions, elephants and cross
mountains to just make it to the classroom. They are willing to go
so far for education because they know it is the only thing that will
lead them to a better life. These kids and their families live far
removed from civilization, most of their families are too poor to
even send them to school, and yet they still find a way. With
education comes the hope of one day moving closer to the city and
civilization ...and one day to their dreams.
A
lot of kids in America take school for granted, most kids would cheer
when they find out they have a snow-day or find out they don't have
to go to school that day, but the ability to read and learn' can you
imagine where YOU would be if you couldn't read or write or never
went to school? What sort of life (much less a job) would you have?
Watching this film you see kids who consider it a blessing and
themselves fortunate to have a school to go to ...and you have to
wonder, how lucky was your life compared to those kids?
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 and lossy Dolby Digital are as good
as they're going to get for this format, but they're watchable
enough, but there are no extras. If it sounds like your kind of
film, see it!
-
Ricky Chiang
