YOUNG Plato has just won the Irish Council for Civil Liberties Human Rights on Film Award at the Dublin International Film Festival. It's a much deserved accolade: this uplifting and inspirational documentary from directors Neasa Ní Chianáin and Declan McGrath examines the positive life-changing impact education can have on young people, their families and the wider community.
The film follows headmaster Kevin McArevey and his staff at Holy Cross Boys Primary School in Ardoyne for an entire school year (which was disrupted by Covid) to capture how Lenadoon-born McArevey's upbeat, philosophy-informed approach to teaching and pastoral care is equipping pupils with essential life skills not found in traditional text books.
Under Mr McArevey's supervision, the boys at Holy Cross take inspiration from the likes of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and Seneca. They engage in philosophical debates in the classroom, where each pupil is given a platform to express their thoughts and feelings on various subjects while also considering those of their classmates.
On a mission to ensure these boys learn to think before they act/react, there is a strict 'no violence' rule in the playground. When scuffles arise, those involved have to work through their issues using a special 'philosophy board' which allows them to engage with the situation in a critical manner, analysing emotions and the impact of their actions.
Mr McArevey also encourages his pupils to take what they've learned home with them, personally visiting with parents to help them understand how philosophical teachings and the power of simply communicating with each other can have a positive impact on the family unit.
"A friend of mine told me about this headmaster who taught philosophy in his school," explains Belfast-born McGrath, who had the original idea for the new documentary and looked after sound during the actual shoot.
"He said 'if you go up there it's great, you can go into the classroom and hear all these wee lads from Ardoyne talking about Plato, Aristotle and Socrates'.
"That was kind of amazing to see in and of itself, but I realised it went a lot deeper than that, because not only could they speak about these philosophers – which was kind of quite cute or quirky, in a way – they were just incredibly articulate.
"They had great confidence and ability to articulate themselves, which is great for any kid that age, but particularly those coming from a disadvantaged area. It's going to be great for them when they go out into the bigger world – they're not going to be intimidated by people who come from money or privilege.
"If you look at Ardoyne and what it has suffered in terms of conflict and mental illness since the confict, I just thought it was a really important story: to show people a way out of trouble and violence and what you can do after violence to make a difference. That's what Kevin is doing."
Having previously worked with Ní Chianáin and her producing partner David Rane at Co Meath-based Soilsiú Films as an editor, McGrath knew they had a "tremendous reputation for observational film-making", notably their acclaimed education-themed 2016 documentary, School Life.
"You cannot be a distraction in their day," explains Ní Chianáin on the art of capturing what goes on in a school environment without causing disruption.
"You have to wear them down, basically, by being there all the time so that they get so used to you they just get on with their daily routines. I knew we needed to be present even if we weren't filming, so we asked Kevin if we could have a little room in the school we could kind of retreat to in order to keep an eye on what was happening.
"There were 430 boys, so it took a little while to find the right classroom with the right teacher who was going to give us access – that's a big 'ask' of a teacher, allowing us to come into what is a very sacred space.
"It can be hard for people to grasp the idea of what observational film-making is, so we spent a lot of time explaining to the staff what we were trying to do and reassuring them."
The director continues: "Kevin got the idea immediately, it was more trying to get the rest of the staff onboard. We were lucky we had a template in School Life that we could show them so they'd have an idea, and we emphasised how we only wanted to use positive story arcs within the film."
At the centre of the documentary is Kevin McArevey himself, a definite 'character' whose commitment to ensuring a better, brighter future for his Holy Cross Boys pupils is perhaps matched only by his passion for all things Elvis Presley.
Having previously struggled with alcohol and a tendency to rely on physical intervention for problem solving, McArevey took charge of his life once he quit drinking and embraced the philosophical teachings of the stoics – and now he's on a mission to broaden young minds with the benefit of his lived experience.
"He's got a lot of energy and he's always on the move, so the hardest part was trying to keep up with him and trying to figure out where he was," reveals Ní Chianáin.
"No matter how many times we asked him to 'please let us know if you're about to do something', he was always just so 'in-the-moment' that it was really up to us to be able to track him so we weren't off having a cup of coffee when something good was happening.
"The thing that's so great about Kevin is that he's everywhere: he's parading those corridors, he's in and out of classrooms, he's keeping an eye on people all the time – and what I found really very unique about him and the staff of Holy Cross was that they took the time to listen to the kids.
"I think that's something that's very unique in that school. If the kids misbehaved or did something wrong, it wasn't just 'dole out a punishment' – they really listened to them and gave the kids the space to actually take stock themselves of what actually happened.
"That was really really powerful and the kids really respond to it and respect it. The kids actually enjoy that process with the philosophy board, it's far more empowering and cathartic for them than getting detention.
"The boys would come in sobbing, angry and upset, but by the time they'd answered those three questions – 'What happened?', 'What should have happened?' and 'Where do we go from here? – they left as friends. It was just extraordinary to see that."
Indeed, as her co-director McGrath points out, it's often the Holy Cross Boys pupils themselves who take the lead in their philosophical discussions, where everyone's opinion is considered and there are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers.
He explains: "The great thing in this school with the philosophy is that it isn't the teacher telling them what to think – they debate it amongst themselves, each of them comes up with a view and at the end of it Kevin asks them if any of them have actually changed their minds.
"That's the whole idea – that it's good and healthy to change your mind."
If, as Plato said, "the direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life", then the compelling documentary Young Plato suggests that the pupils of Holy Cross Boys Primary School now have a much brighter future thanks to the inspirational work of Kevin McArevey and his staff.
:: Young Plato opens in cinemas on March 11. There will be a special Q&A screening with the directors at QFT Belfast on March 11 at 6pm, book online via queensfilmtheatre.com/Whats-On/Young-Plato.
