Queen of Katwe

9^th October 2016 6.30pm at Odeon Leicester Square
10^th October 2016 11.30am at Odeon Leicester Square
12^th October 2016 6.15pm at Ritzy Cinema

Walt Disney Pictures managed to add yet another greatly inspirational film to their repertoire. Directed by Mira Nair, Queen of Katwe is a biological drama about the beginnings of Ugandan-born chess champion Phiona Mutesi.

The story takes place in Katwe, the slum neighbourhood in Kampala, Uganda’s largest city, where the real life Mutesi was born and raised. Through the use of bold colours, the film highlights the vibrant side of this poor city.

Mutesi is portrayed by upcoming actress Madina Nalwanga and she does so splendidly. The audience sees Mutesi mature from a poor, putrid-smelling girl – who needed to sell maize on the market to sustain her family – to a bright and confident young woman capable of astonishing with her excellent chess-playing skills. Throughout this strenuous journey she is constantly supported by teacher Robert Katende (the wonderful David Oyelowe). He finds that she is an innately gifted strategist and demands that she expands her cognitive abilities, allowing her to study at school again. The award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has taken on the responsibility of playing Mutesi’s bossy yet incredibly caring mother, Nakku Harriet. She is fierce in doing so and you cannot help but smile at it. But perhaps the greatest talent in Queen of Katwe are the youngest performers, like Nikita Waligwa as the outspoken Gloria. Only a child can be so memorably endearing.

Queen of Katwe is an inspirational, hope-giving movie and what is best about it is that it is a completely true-to-life story. “You belong where you believe you belong” is an important quote in this tale. It dictates that you ought not abandon your aspirations. The queen, it is said, is the most powerful piece in a game of chess and Mutesi, along with her family and friends, is such a queen. The credits of Queen of Katwe beautifully place each actor next to the people who have inspired the film and mention what they have hitherto accomplished.

Kim Varod

Queen of Katwe is released nationwide on 21^st October 2016.

For further information about the 60^th London Film Festival visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Queen of Katwe here: