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chess

Queen of Katwe – Inspiring, but . . .

January 31, 2017 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“In chess, the small one can become the big one.”

Disney knows how to do inspirational stories. The latest is Queen of Katwe about a Ugandan chess prodigy who finds a way out of the slums of Kampala through the dedication of a man who reached out to impoverished children by teaching them the game.

Nine year old Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) spends her days selling vegetable in the streets of Kampala to help her mother (Lupita Nyong’o) provide for the family. School isn’t an option. Her future seems bleak indeed. One day she follows her brother to a church that hosts a youth sports outreach ministry. Part of that outreach is led by Robert Katende (David Oyelowo), an unemployed engineer, who himself achieved an education in spite of his coming from the slums. Robert strives to teach not just chess to the children, but also tries to give them a hope and vision of a better life. As Phiona advances in the world of chess, she also must deal with various struggles in her family life—often leading to times of despair.

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Chess often serves as a metaphor of conquering life’s challenges. The film is rich in aphorisms such as “Sometimes the place you are used to is not the place you belong,” “You use your mind, make a plan, and you will find safe squares,” and “Do not be too quick to tip your king,” all of which speak more to Phiona’s personal struggles more than her chess playing.

It is worth noting that the church and faith has a role in the story. Robert is working with the church as he awaits a possible job that his education has prepared him for. Although it is a church ministry, we don’t see any religious teaching going on along with the chess. Yet, the implication is that there is more here than just the game. At the same time, after losing their home, Phiona’s family squats in the ruins of a burned out church. That less than perfect shelter is another interesting metaphor for the way God may seem to the young struggling girl. She wonders at one point if God really cares about her and her family. She certainly sees no clear evidence based on the events that befall them. So the church is both a physical shelter (although not a very good one) and the place that offers hope for finding more than her life has provided her. That ambivalence, I think, is a common experience of church—something that nourishes us, but we often fail to see its importance in day to day life.

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While Phiona’s story is indeed inspiring as we watch her become more confident in her game and in life, it may also seem a bit trite. Certainly she finds her path out of the poverty that has defined her life to this point, but it is such an individual journey that it becomes something of a Horatio Alger story. While she has help along the way, in the end we celebrate what Phiona has achieved by her dedication and work. She has found a way out of the slums, but what of all the others in the slums. A few other children also play chess and begin an education, but the social structures that allow such poverty continue untouched. That is often the flaw in stories such as this. One person’s success is worth celebration, but not by ignoring the roots of the problem that they have overcome.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Filed Under: DVD, Editorial, Film, Reviews Tagged With: based on a true story, chess, church, David Oyelowo, Disney, Lupita Nyong'o, Madina Nalwanga, Mira Nair, Uganda

tiff16 1on1: The Cast of QUEEN OF KATWE

September 23, 2016 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

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“You belong here.” – Robert Katende (David Oyelowo)

Queen of Katwe tells the story of Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga), a young teenager who lives in the poorest areas of Katwe, Uganda. She connects with missionary Robert Katende (Oscar nominee David Oyelowo), who introduces her to the game of chess. As Phiona quickly demonstrates an incredible grasp of the game, she also faces adversity from her mother, Harriet (Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o), who feels the game is a distraction from her work as well as the oppressiveness of a cultural caste system.  However, as Phiona improves her skills and becomes an international phenom, she also becomes a beacon of hope for her entire country.

Directed by veteran Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Salaam Bombay!), Katwe thrives with vibrancy and energy.  Having lived there for many years, Nair clearly has a passion for Uganda and she uses that to her advantage.  With their history of ‘feel-good films’, there may have been a temptation by Disney to ask Nair to temper some of the realities of life in Uganda to make it more ‘palatable’ to a wider audience.  However, to their credit, Disney wisely allows Nair to really explore the country and bring it to life onscreen.  While not shying away from the trials of life in Katwe (i.e. floods, extreme poverty), Nair also reveals that the area and its people are full of life and energy.  Bright colours flood the screen during the scenes in Uganda, deliberately contrasted with the more pale hues of Phiona’s tournaments abroad.  The music is infused with joy in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances.  Clearly invigorated with this project, Nair deftly balances Uganda’s vibrancy with its stories of suffering in a way that both challenges and encourages.

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While both Nyong’o and (especially) Oyelowo demonstrate their skill in bringing complexity to their characters, the real star here is Madina Nalwanga.  Having come from Uganda herself, Nalwanga slides effortlessly into the role of the chess prodigy and reveals a reality within Phiona that may have been a challenge for others.  For a first-time actress, Nalwanga portrays Phiona with both ferocity and humility and owns every scene.

Throughout the film, Phiona is reminded that ‘she belongs [amongst the elite]’, despite what those around her believe.  Coming from the oppression of a caste system, Phiona wants to believe that she has value simply as herself yet she constantly runs into opposition.  With each foreign chess tournament victory, we witness Phiona struggle with the tension of life beyond Katwe and the reality her family lives within.  Her struggle is not merely to win games or become a chess master but to bring hope to her family and country.  The emotional bedrock for this storyline comes through her relationship with Oyelowo’s portrayal of missionary Robert Katende who patiently and lovingly supports his young team throughout their journey.  While the faith elements of Katende’s influence are not emphasized in this particular film, they are evident in his grace-filled heart and commitment to the children’s emotional spiritual wholeness.  Despite what they have been told, Katende wants the children to understand that there is hope beyond their circumstances.  The game of chess is merely his way of passing on that hope.

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Interestingly, one of the finer touches of the film comes in the closing credit sequence when the actors take the screen next to their real counterparts.  To see Nyong’o stand next to the real Harriet (among others) was a subtle but poignant touch at the end of the piece to remind the viewer of the authenticity of the story.  (In fact, many of the subjects had constant access to the sets and built solid relationships with the cast and crew.)  Disney wants you to know that these people are not some characters they have created–they are very real and this is their story.

In the end, while Queen of Katwe does follow many of the story beats of other ‘unknown person makes it big’ films, the cast is so strong and the film has so much energy that it still feels fresh.  While chess may be the game that drives the narrative, the film is about much more than a game.  It is about hope and sacrifice, and offers a deeper understanding of an area of the world that we do not hear much about.

With Katwe, Disney can definitely claim ‘checkmate’.

 

For more information about Queen of Katwe, check out the latest episodes of the ScreenFish podcast below for roundtable interviews with stars Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo and director, Mira Nair or 1on1 interviews with Phiona Mutesi and Robert Katende themselves!

Roundtable with Lupita Nyong’o and director Mira Nair

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1on1-wLupita-Nyongo-Mira-Nair.mp3

Roundtable with David Oyelowo and 1on1 with Robert Katende

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1on1-wDavid-Oyelowo-Robert-Katende.mp3

1on1 with Phiona Mutesi

http://screenfish.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1on1-wPhiona-Mutesi.mp3

Filed Under: Film, Podcast, Reviews, TIFF Tagged With: Africa, checkmate, chess, David Oyelowo, Disney, drama, interview, Lupita Nyong'o, Mira Nair, Phiona Mutesi, Podcast, Queen of Katwe, Robert Katende, Uganda

The Dark Horse – A Saving Presence

April 1, 2016 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“You are not what they are making you think you are.”

Based on a true story, The Dark Horse, follows Genesis (Gen) Potini, a one-time chess champion who spent years in and out of mental hospitals. While it’s not unusual for stories to have a Christ figure who is mentally ill, I found the unusual way that Gen serves in that role to be both fresh and challenging.

We get just a glimpse of Gen’s mental illness in the opening scene when he wanders down the street in the rain and into a store where he plays a solo chess game on a board there before the authorities come to take him away. When he is released he must live with someone, so moves in with his brother Ariki. It’s not a good fit. Gen needs calm and stability. Ariki is part of a violent Maori motorcycle gang. Ariki’s son Mana is a mild mannered fifteen year old, but Ariki is pushing to get Mana jumped into the gang. To feel needed Gen volunteers as a local chess club (where chess is rarely played) for disadvantaged youth. He soon has them preparing for the national junior chess tournament. When Ariki kicks him out of the house, Gen sleeps at a memorial overlooking the city. As he mentors the players and tries to provide Mana with an alternative to the life in the gang, Gen also struggles to maintain his own connection with reality and life.

For Gen chess is more than a game—it is his connection to his heritage. As he teaches chess to Maori children he connects them to their warrior folklore. He also demonstrates that the pieces all work together as a community—as a family. So when he has them all take pieces from a special chess set to serve as talismans in their playing, he also has them bring them back to keep the family together.

The Dark Horse is a richly layered film that allows viewers to plug into it in a variety of ways. On one level, it is a sports film in which the wisdom of the ages is passed down to a new generation. It follows the convention of such films by taking us to the tournament where the children must play on their own (which is harder for Gen than it is for them). It values community and reflects on some of the healthy and unhealthy ways we seek community in our lives. Ariki and his gang are a type of family just as the chess club becomes for Gen and the children. For Mana, a choice must be made between these two paths to community—or maybe the choice will be made for him by Ariki.

But for me this is the kind of film that draws me in at a theological level. I mentioned above that Gen serves as a Christ figure. Often that means one who is sacrificed to save another. When Gen interacts with Ariki and the gang, that is always a potential. But Gen is not so much a sacrifice as a presence. Even given his tentative grasp on sanity, Gen represents the coming presence of one who brings new life—both to the kids in the chess club and to Mana. That atonement (to use the theological term) does not take place through sacrifice (although it plays a part), but rather through Gen’s decision to be a part of their lives and to create with them a community that is based not in power but in acceptance of all who come. Gen, then, is a model for Incarnational Atonement—the concept that it is in the Incarnation, the Word becoming Flesh, that reconciliation, redemption, and salvation are found. The Dark Horse gives us a chance to consider what it means that God reaches out to us to be reconciled and what it means to find that connection to the one who comes to us.

Photo Credit: Steve King / Broad Green Pictures

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: based on true story, chess, Christ Figure, Maori, New Zealand

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