As a child of missionaries, I traveled to many remote areas of the world starting at a very early age. I’ve always dreamed of traveling to Africa, but my parents didn’t start their outreach programs in that region until I was an adult. Every year, I see pictures from, and hear emotionally moving stories of, their time spent in Uganda. They always speak of how kind, hard-working, and lovely the people are there.
Walt Disney Pictures, ESPN Films, and Mirabai Films captured the true essence of Uganda and its people when making the film Queen of Katwe. It’s about chasing your dreams and never giving up on achieving them. The film is based on an inspiring true story of a young girl, Phiona Mutesi, played by actress Madina Nalwanga, as she learns the game of chess and pursues her dream of becoming an international chess champion.
Although most of the cast is young, some having little to no portfolio, each actor played to the big screen and accurately portrayed each character. The acting was whole-hearted, emotions, at times, were robust, and the story-line was relatable.
One thirteen-year-old movie goer said Queen of Katwe was “a really cool movie. It’s different from a lot of Disney’s other movies. It was cool to see how people live in other parts of the world and the struggles that they face. I might not be able to relate to everything Phiona went through, but my parents always remind me to dream big, just like [Phiona does] in the movie.”
No matter what area of the world you live in, no matter what background you come from, each one of us, young or old, can be inspired by the moral of this story:
“The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them.” – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize Winner & President of Liberia
Movie times: click here
Genre: Biography, Drama
Actors: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Kabanza
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes
