Queen of Katwe (2016)
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A young girl from a Ugandan slum discovers a passion for chess that offers a potential escape from poverty.
The story
Living in Katwe, a slum in Kampala, Uganda, 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi struggles with her family to sell maize in the market. Her life changes when she meets Robert Katende at a missionary program, where he teaches children to play chess. Fascinated, Phiona begins to learn the game under Katende's guidance and quickly becomes a top player in the group. Despite initial opposition from local chess authorities, Katende takes Phiona and her team to a national school level tournament at a prestigious local school, where their talent leads to a victory.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Phiona Mutesi lives in the Katwe slum in Kampala, Uganda, where she helps her mother sell maize. Her life takes a turn when she meets Robert Katende, who teaches her chess. She quickly excels under his mentorship. Katende takes Phiona and her team to a national tournament at a prestigious school, where they succeed despite being out of place. The film follows Phiona's journey through various competitions, where she hopes chess will lift her family out of poverty. She eventually leads the Uganda team at the Chess Olympiad in Russia, aiming to become a Grandmaster. However, she loses to a Canadian opponent and returns to Katwe dejected. With the support of Coach Katende and her community, she returns to the game and eventually succeeds enough to purchase a home for her family.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Luganda
- Directors
- Mira Nair
- Writers
- William Wheeler · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- David Oyelowo · Robert Katende; Lupita Nyong'o · Nakku Harriet; Madina Nalwanga · Phiona Mutesi; Martin Kabanza · Mugabi Brian; Taryn "Kay" Kyaze · Night, Phiona's older sister; Ronald Ssemaganda · Ivan; Ethan Nazario Lubega · Benjamin; Nikita Pearl Waligwa · Gloria Nansubuga, Phiona's friend
- Genres
- biographical; sports drama
- Themes
- poverty; determination; education; underdog success
- Tone and mood
- aspirational; feel-good; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; sports drama; chess; poverty; underdog
- Source material / true-story basis
- Adapted from an ESPN magazine article and book by Tim Crothers.
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and positive reviews, particularly praising the performances of David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 94% · review count: 191; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 40; CinemaScore · score: A+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Guild of Music Supervisors Award · Best Music Supervision for Films Budgeted Under $25 Million · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and ESPN Films.; Mira Nair's son, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, served as third assistant director and an extra in the film.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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