As its strength, the film best applies these Socratic principles of self-awareness and ethics among young minds without going too much into the scholarly details and deep literature. There are many memorable philosophical moments: controlling anger, division of religion, and the different interpretations of an object as metaphors for diverse thinking. And that’s just within half an hour into the film.
The kids’ charm and innocence are mesmerising as they navigate the conflict and dilemmas of the adult world as it’s paralleled into their puerile environment. It is the job of Kevin McArevey as the charismatic headteacher of Holy Cross Boys’ primary school to uplift their mindset and thinking. His mission is to use classical philosophy to alleviate childhood tempers and control school bullying. On another level, he uses philosophy to illuminate and understand the societal divide and undermine social violence within the country. And yes, these young minds pick up quickly and contribute astonishing wisdom for their age. One highlight was when two students volunteered the most profound answers to the Heraclitus maxim of everything changes: your DNA doesn’t change, and the past doesn’t change. Some in-depth food for thought from some revealingly evolved children.
The narrative’s timeline extends up to the COVID pandemic lockdowns, which add another level of angst and challenge to everyone’s mental health. It is good to see the young faces mature a bit within the timeframe. A lot wiser, thanks to those mindful and reflective classes. You can’t help but think that philosophy as an ethereal subject can be pretty practical in its application to unblemished lives as they contemplatingly traverse the path to adulthood.
The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is already midway at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick, Sydney, which started from 18 February up to 24 March 2021. There have been plenty of films screened, including a diverse selection of documentaries on various themes and topics.
The Jewish International Film Festival (JIFF) is back from 23 October to 22 November 2023, with screenings in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra, and the Gold Coast.
