Just as Hurricane Sandy came blowing into New York City, we hunkered down and watched an inspiring NY tale, Brooklyn Castle. Three generations of us, including me, my chess-playing 7-year-old daughter, and my mother-in-law, a former teacher, were riveted by this documentary about junior high chess champions.
Brooklyn Castle follows several of the students on the chess team of I.S. 318 in Brooklyn. This school, where 70% of the students live below the poverty line, has won more national chess titles than any other junior high school in the country. Director Katie Dellamaggiore started this film to document the chess phenomenon in this school, but, like any good documentary, it turned into so much more. As the school year progressed in the film, I.S. 318, like most of the public schools in our fair city, was saddled with crippling budget cuts as the economy crashed. At first, it looked like there wouldn't be enough money to send the kids to their tournaments. By the end of the film you're worried about the very chess team itself surviving.
One of the remarkable kids in the film is Pobo, a natural leader within the chess team. When he hears of the budget cuts, he runs for class president, plastering the school with signs that say "Vote for Pobama!" His promise to the students: fundraise to replace every dollar of lost funds. This kid is amazing. With no stretch of the imagination, I fully expect to vote for Pobo as mayor of NYC one day.
The other student that really stuck out is Rochelle. Among a sea of boys, she starts to progress in the chess ratings. Her vision is to become the first African American female to be a chess master. It's amazing that there are still firsts like this to be had, and Rochelle is well on her way.
All of kids are heros that overcome true hardships in their lives. As I watched chess inspire them, I became inspired by them. Not only is Brooklyn Castle an uplifting film, it's an important reminder of how necessary these extracurricular programs are in our school, and how budget cuts and teaching to the tests cripples the learning potential of our kids.
Find the film in a theater near you on the Brooklyn Castle website, and while you're there, you can donate to keep the chess program at I.S. 318 running.
