| The Boys of Baraka |
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| Directed By:
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Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
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| Produced In:
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USA/Kenya 2004/2005
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| Running Time:
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84 minutes
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| Genre:
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Documentary
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| Language:
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In English
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| Themes:
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Kenya, Right to Education , Cultural Identity: African American
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| Distributor:
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Loki Films
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Synopsis:
On September 12, 2002 twenty “at risk” 12-year-old boys from
the tough streets of inner-city Baltimore left home to attend
the 7th and 8th grade at Baraka, an experimental boarding school
located in Kenya, East Africa. Here, faced with a strict academic
and disciplinary program, as well as the freedom to be normal
teenage boys, these brave kids began the daunting journey towards
putting their lives on a fresh path. The Boys of Baraka focuses on
four boys: Devon, Montrey, Richard, and Richard’s brother Romesh.
Their humor and candor give intimate insight into their optimism,
despite the tremendous obstacles they face both at home and in school.
Through extensive time with the boys in Baltimore and in Africa, the
film captures the kids’ amazing journey and how they fare when they
are forced to return to the difficult realities of their city.
The Boys of Baraka zeros in on kids that society has given up on—
boys with every disadvantage but who refuse to be cast off as
“throw-aways.”
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Links:
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- Coming Soon: A full curriculum and discussion guide from P.O.V.
- Visit the film's web site for discussion tips around the film
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