Schoolteacher John Scopes is placed under close arrest for advocating Darwin's theory of evolution to his pupils in violation of a stifling Tennessee law banning anything that 'denies the divine creation of man as taught by the Bible'. The case is taken up by a cynical newspaper-man who takes an interest when the champion of the Fundamentalists and three-time presidential candidate is named prosecutor. A fascinating and absorbing dramatisation of the famous 1925 'Monkey Trial'.
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MACHUCA (2004)
Certification15 Our Rating
Andres Wood's semi-autobiographical film is set in Chile in 1973, when General Pinochet's military coup seized power from President Allende's democratically elected government. It follows the unexpected friendship of two 11-year-old boys - Gonzalo, who comes from a wealthy middle class neighbourhood, and Pedro Machuca, who lives in a nearby shanty town. They meet when an idealistic priest admits children from poor families to an elite private school and, as they learn about each other's very dif
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SONG FOR A RAGGY BOY (2004)
Certification15 Our Rating
William Franklin is appointed as a teacher at St Jude's Reformatory School in 1939 and it soon becomes apparent how differently he approaches his work in comparison to the Catholic brothers who make up the rest of the staff, a group of embittered and institutionalised men who do little more than abuse and torment their young pupils. Franklin is increasingly horrified by what he witnesses and becomes determined that he will make a positive difference to the forgotten children in his charge. Song
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