Education is the cornerstone of success throughout the world. Without an education, it can be incredibly difficult to find your way in the world–and at Holy Cross Boys Primary School in Belfast education takes a unique form. Young Plato, a fitting name for a documentary that focuses on a school that puts great stock in philosophy. Principal Kevin McArevey focuses on not just educating his students and making them better learners, but explaining the importance of philosophy, self-reflection, and discipline to a group of young, passionate students. His place in their lives is more important than any of his students may know, but his refusal to give up on them is truly unparalleled.
I work with children, and I have for some time now. Young Plato is both a beautiful and accurate representation of what today’s youth looks like and how they operate. Directors Declan McGrath and Neasa Ní Chianáin know how to express the beauty of the world’s youth, but even better they know how to express to the world the struggles that this younger generation faces on a regular basis. We often look at children and wonder how they can be so harmful, so jaded, so hurt–and we sometimes fail to realize that they, like everyone else, have obstacles that they face each and every day. It’s incredibly easy to see throughout the course of Young Plato how these children struggle–and the “why” is made just as important.
McGrath and Chianáin aim to get up close and personal throughout Young Plato, and they do just this. They don’t give the subjects of the film the opportunity to run from the cameras or hide their true feelings–and viewers get an honest look at the people on screen, opening their eyes to the reality of the world in which they live, and providing them a better understanding of what exactly takes place not just at Holy Cross Boys Primary School but throughout the whole of Ireland. This is a genuine look at reality, and this team does a damn-near perfect job of bringing all of the sentiments present in Young Plato to life with great aplomb.
More than anything else, Young Plato is a beacon of hope for those that have lost theirs for future generations. Sure, we see young boys hitting one another, stealing, or cursing–but what we also see is them thinking about thinking, understanding right from wrong, and being able to analyze their every move. They know how to be good people, and that comes, in large part, from McArevey. That hope permeates the film, and Young Plato constantly reminds viewers that the up-and-coming generations have promise and heart.
Young Plato is moving, and it touches on all the right aspects of human emotion and everyday life–inviting a monstrous range of viewers into its orbit. The film is wonderfully developed, covering literally dozens of individuals throughout, but never overloading viewers with content. It delivers endless messages, promoting compassion, philosophy, and honesty in a way that both kids and adults alike will be able to appreciate. As Young Plato comes to a close, viewers feel just as invested as they did in the opening moments–and it continues to impress through its final seconds.
Directed by Declan McGrath & Neasa Ní Chianáin.
Written by Etienne Essery, Declan McGrath, & Neasa Ní Chianáin.
Starring Kevin McArevey & Jan-Marie Reel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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