Wednesday October 18th 2017
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USA 2016 119 minutes
Director: Mira Nair
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo
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Phiona Mutesi is a poor girl selling maize in the slums of Katawe in Uganda’s capital Kampala. Like many of her contempories, she cannot afford school and has very poor prospects for the future. She catches the attention of Robert Katende, who runs a local charity sports programme and realises she has a natural talent for chess. Despite doubts from her mother, he steers and encourages her to enter chess competitions, where she reveals not just her abilities but a steely determination to win and succeed to secure a better life for herself and her family. An enjoyable ‘rags-to-riches’ real life story.