October 13, 2012

You may look at the trailer for I am Eleven and think you're about to embark down a well worn path, one you've walked with Michael Apted (and Paul Almond) and their Seven Up series (or if you stayed at home in Australia, with Gillian Armstrong's Smokes and Lollies, which did a similar multi-subject interview over time, at ages 14, 18, 26, 33 and 48), but Australian documentary film maker Genevieve Bailey isn't all that interested in the idea of g… read the rest.

You may look at the trailer for I am Eleven and think you're about to embark down a well worn path, one you've walked with Michael Apted (and Paul Almond) and their Seven Up series (or if you stayed at home in Australia, with Gillian Armstrong's Smokes and Lollies, which did a similar multi-subject interview over time, at ages 14, 18, 26, 33 and 48), but Australian documentary film maker Genevieve Bailey isn't all that interested in the idea of growing up. In fact, she'd probably tell Gillian and Michael that they missed all the best bits.

Bailey's all about 11.

As a recovering teacher, I can certainly understand. 11 is the brief window kids have before they are swept away on a sea of hormones. Eloquent enough to express themselves but not yet crippled by self consciousness, 11 year olds have a world of opportunity before them and the wherewithal to philosophise about it.

Back in 2005, staring down her first holiday overseas, Bailey, a self-confessed workaholic opted to embark on a documentary project to try to bottle this 11 year old magic in every country she travelled to. Five years and 15 countries later, I am Eleven collects together the world views of over 20 kids from diverse cultures, languages and socio-economic backgrounds.

And that magic is well and truly bottled!

I am Eleven is a real joy to watch. Taking cues from the children at its centre, the film is is overflowing with enthusiasm and completely unselfconscious. Like a rambling 11 year old, the film moves from topic to topic, fluidly editing the children together, emphasising their common concerns and juxtaposing their differences. Whether you are hearing about France's selfishness and lack of compassion for refugees from proto-BoHo Remi; the comparative merits of Dirty Dancing and wrestling from Londoner, Billy; or the basics of college marriage proposals from Kimberly from New Jersey, there is a freshness and optimism in the children's approach to life, which in turn triggers our own memories, hopes and dreams.

If there are any let downs in the film, they are inextricably linked to the film's small beginnings and the relationships that were forged throughout the production. Bailey spends the lion's share of the time with the children from 'Our Home' in India (which the production continues to generously support) and they are fantastic children but at times it is clear that Bailey did not get to spend as much time as she would have liked with some of her subjects. The film also bears the marks of the gradual improvement in the quality of Bailey's cameras but to its credit, the film wears it with pride. When butted up against to the brilliant colours and luscious shallow focus shots of the Indian scenes, the house bound interview of Luca in Berlin may lack vibrancy but, like the tattered pages of a library book, it is these moments that remind of the textured history of the film.

Completely self funded, I am Eleven is a real labour of love, captured in Bailey's "time off". If IMDb is to be believed the entire crew can be counted on one hand and they all come on board in post production. A special mention should go out to composer Nick Huggins, whose captivating score adds immeasurably to the film's airy, effortless tone.

It is a testament to Bailey's skills as an producer, director and editor that, despite the constraints, the finished film is polished and richly textured. And it is a testament to the 11 year olds themselves (and 11 year olds everywhere) that the film is so completely engaging, truthful, and utterly charming. Bailey underlines this beautifully in her wonderful closing nod to Seven Up!; as she revisits some of her earlier interviewees years on. It is astonishing how dramatically their world view has changed. There really is something special about 11.

I am Eleven is an infectious mix of hope and happiness; a love letter to the world from those who will grow up to run it. It is a shame that we forget the wisdom that we have at that age, or it gets beaten out of us, but if you get yourself along to a screening when the film opens this week, Goh, Jack, Jamira, Siham, Kimberly, Vandana, Ginisha, Remi, Billy, Rika, Dagan, Luca, Osama and Sahin will help you remember.

It's well worth every moment of your time. Get out there. Support the film. Spread the word. This is a local production that deserves to be seen the world over.

★★★★

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