Wide Angle

About the Film

Doesn’t everyone remember their first day of school? Not everyone can. The facts speak for themselves. Over a hundred million children worldwide have never spent a day in school. One in four does not complete even five years of basic education. Now, 182 nations have promised to provide access to free and compulsory education for every child in the world — by 2015. To test the reality of this commitment, WIDE ANGLE profiles children in Japan, Kenya, Benin, Brazil, Romania, and India who have managed to enroll in the first year of primary school — in most cases despite great odds. Planned as the premiere episode of a longitudinal series of films through 2015, this program will provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of children with very different personalities, in diverse circumstances and countries, all taking a hopeful first step into an uncertain future.