This documentary opens with a stunning fact: In Baltimore, MD, 76% of African-American boys don’t graduate from high school. The film focuses on a glimmer of hope: The Baraka School. The boarding school, located in Kenya, takes in twenty “at-risk” kids for two years.

I hate using the terms “at-risk” or “troubled,” because none of the children portrayed in the film are that. Devon, 12, wants to be a preacher. Montrey, also 12, wants to be a scientist. They aren’t bad apples. They’re ambitious kids growing up in a bad environment. They don’t have a lot of chances, and it seems like everyone has given up on them – parents, teachers, and people in the community.

So it’s amazing to see what they can do when they’re given a chance. And their time Baraka School is just that. During the middle of the film, the principal asks the boys how many of them want to graduate from the high school of their choice. They all raise their hands. She explains to them that that’s what everyone at the school wants for them as well, and they have no reason to fail.

The school is strict. During a language class, one of the boys threatens another, and is asked to leave class. If anyone fails a class, they’re immediately sent back to Baltimore.

The school is also a little unconventional. The counselors constantly encourage the boys to talk through conflicts instead of solving them with violence, and they’re encouraged to talk about their problems. In perhaps one of the best scenes in the movie, two boys who were in a fist fight are taken away from the school and given a tent. It’s about an hour before sunset, and they’re told they have to work together to assemble it before they can leave.

There are a couple of things that annoyed me about the movie, however. Occasionally, the boys are subtitled, which I found a little unnecessary. I didn’t have a hard time understanding them at all. Also, it doesn’t really have a coherent story line; there’s a lot going on at once. And, aside from a brief climb up Mount Kenya, the film doesn’t show very much of its location, which was a huge disappointment.

However, it’s a very powerful film. As Roger Ebert said, “Here is a movie that makes you want to do something.” It makes the point that there are a lot of children we’re failing. They need guidance and structure and they aren’t getting it. But it’s encouraging to see just how tenacious they are, and to see some of them start to reach their goals. It give you hope for the future.