Review by John Delia
Inspirational and compelling, the film Young Plato carries the genre Documentary, but it plays out like a drama with a lot of heart. For many years Ireland has always had problems between the North and the South due to disagreements as to which part rules the country. In the middle of the conflict that has left an aura of dislike among the Catholics and Protestants, are the children that have to deal with it day after day. In their neighborhoods, although the armed conflict ended years ago, you can still see the remnants of the battles between the two factions.
The film opens in Ardoyne, North Belfast, Ireland where Kevin McArevey is the principal for Holy Cross Boys Primary School, an academy for boys. A likeable philosophy teacher, he bases his teachings on reason and urges them to resolve their own conflicts based on facts. He also helps the boys understand the past and to look ahead to a peaceful future. Like the philosopher Plato, who based his reasoning involving religion and family, McArevey explains why certain problems exist and how to correct personality differences between fellow students.
Throughout the film directors and writers Dcclan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain use factual information regarding the current status of Ireland and the ongoing grudges of the people that consistently make the news. It tends to set a tone as to what the school children are experiencing and the reasoning of Principal Kevin McArevey. While you can see similar challenges that the school children have today in America, the ones in Ireland are instilled with danger and unsetting futures.
Young Plato is one of the better documentaries that have been released within the past couple of years. I like the way it’s played out and the production quality that you don’t get from documentaries that load up films with a lot of old footage from a person’s biographical library. Instead we are treated to a real life drama that is unrehearsed and pure reality. I highly recommend the film for the whole family, (5 out of 5 stars)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Kevin McArevey, Neasa Mi Chianain
Directed By: Dcclan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain
Written by: Etienne Essery, Dcclan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain
Genre: Documentary
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains scenes of conflict
Running Time: 1 hr. 42 min.
Opening Date: September 30, 2022
Distributed by: Yieisradio (YLE)
Released in: Theaters