The documentary film ‘Young Plato’ will premiere at the Angelika Film Center this Friday 23rd, followed by a US regional expansion to on September 30th in Washington DC, Dallas, San Diego, Sacramento, Plano, and Fairfax.
The documentary’s focus is Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where schoolyard conflicts are resolved through children exploring philosophy, and learning to reason and think for themselves. School Principal Kevin McArevey, a Stoic who sings along to Elvis Presley, is rocking the status quo by teaching philosophy to students in a community plagued by urban decay, sectarian violence, poverty, and drugs. In an atmosphere of deep caring and support, his students learn new ways to manage their emotions based on ancient texts. The film, produced by David Rane and directed by Neasa Ní Chianáín and Declan McGrath, deftly addresses the social division and intergenerational trauma of a city divided by Peace Walls where “the troubles” are more than a memory in a story filled with the mischievous charm of young boys learning to question the mythologies of war and violence. “Young Plato” shines a positive light on contemporary Northern Ireland, offering a model for building a culture of peace in these troubling times.
Neasa Ní Chianáín is one of Ireland’s most established documentary talents and has directed four features, four shorts, and a TV series. Neasa was named one of Europe’s 10 most promising women directors at the Sydney Film Festival’s ‘Europe! Voices of Women in Film’ program. Immediately prior to “Young Plato” Neasa directed ‘In Loco Parentis’ (aka ‘School Life’ ) a Magnolia Pictures release that premiered at IDFA 2016 and Sundance 2017. Awards: Special Jury Prize, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco Film Festival; Audience Award, Visions du Réel, Nyon. Directing credits: ‘Frank Ned & Busy Lizzie,’ ‘Fairytale of Kathmandu,’ and ‘The Stranger.’ Neasa is currently in post-production on a new feature documentary, ‘The Alexander Complex.’
Declan McGrath is a Belfast-based filmmaker and a Director of the feature documentary YOUNG PLATO. Declan is also the Director of the award-winning ‘Lomax in Éirinn ‘ (TG4) which screened at festivals worldwide and ‘Mary McAleese & The Man Who Saved Europe (RTE, BBC). He has written two books on the craft of filmmaking (Screencraft: Editing & Post Productions and Screencraft: Scriptwriting), both translated into 5 languages. He is also a regular contributor to the New York film journal Cineaste. Additional directing credits include ‘My Struggle For Life,’ Tír Eoghain: The Unbreakable Bond’ and ‘Women Of The Oireachtas.“
Young Plato is the winner of nine international and Irish awards, including the Irish Film & Television Academy Award for Best Feature Doc 2022, and has been selected for nearly 40 festivals worldwide.
For further details visit
facebook.com/YoungPlatoFilm
Source/Images provided by Emma Griffiths (Photo Credit_ Soilsiu Films)
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