I Am Eleven

Documentary filmmaker Genevieve Bailey's immersive style of globe-trotting storytelling blends effortlessly with a colourful cast of subjects for I Am Eleven, an intriguing and intricate look into the common forces - and salient differences- that shape children all over the world.

As the title may suggest, Bailey has assembled a fascinating group of pre-teens from fifteen different countries, each with their own histories, difficulties and ambitions, but a heartbreaking tale of poverty clashing with first-world problems this is not. Bailey, with the use of a blunt hammer in favour of a soft touch, could have easily delivered a wrought portrait of humanity against a grim backdrop peppered with finger-pointing, but she instead address the more positive aspects of childhood; the little things in life that affirm the human experience.

Naturally, it is the colourful cast that enriches the message, as each child, while sharing stark similarities with a couple of others, is inherently a unique specimen; a product of their environment as much as their upbringing. A pair of Swedish rappers, a triple threat All-American girl, a free-thinking but mentally disabled British boy, an Indian orphan, a wise-beyond-his- years Frenchman and an aspiring fiction writer, born in London but living in the Czech Republic, make up only some of the peculiar but absorbing personalities.

Their responses to Bailey's open-ended questions are sometimes silly, occasionally profound but always constructive, as by the end of the film the audience has a very detailed idea of who these children are and where they might be headed. Or so we think. A motza of special features (that includes audience Q&As with Bailey and behind the scenes footage) is highlighted by a follow-up visit with many of the film's most arresting individuals, most of whom have taken their lives in drastically different directions than originally intended by their wide-eyed past selves. Despite the implications, Bailey steers clear of a preachy conclusion, instead allowing the film's foremost theme of global commonality to speak for itself.

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Genevieve Bailey's journey through the lives and minds of eleven year old children globally, is genuinely heartwarming and insightful. Never veering into sentimentality, Bailey's sensitive portraits reveal some innermost truths, startling points of view - and moments of utter hilarity. Accompanying several 11 year olds through their everyday lives, Bailey captures their thoughts from on diverse range of subjects - from love, friendships and familial relationships - through to dreams, bullying and the environment. At turns surprisingly poignant and funny, it's a colourful ride from country-to-country, where each child is obviously so at ease with Bailey and her camera that they are simply, wonderfully, themselves. Beautifully shot with a melodic soundtrack, it's a gem of a film.

The other reviewers here have articulated my view of this film. I went to see it because I have spent a good quarter century teaching 11 year olds and know the "magic" that they bring to the world. Want to be more optimistic about the future of humankind - hang out with some 11 year olds for a while. This film affords everyone the opportunity to do that. What I found a bit disconcerting was the film makers choice to travel to Thailand and spend the majority of the time interviewing an English speaking (British Expat) child when she could have taken the time to spend more time interviewing and seeing the life of the 11 year old Thai boy Goh. We did learn from Jack (the expat boy) that he indeed was pretty similar to all the other 11 year olds in the film, but I kept wanting to know more about Goh.

Shortly after young Melburnian Genevieve Bailey's father died, she embarked on her first trip overseas intent on doing something with her life.

Most people in her position would have thrown themselves into a series of hedonistic backpacking adventures, but not Bailey. Armed only with a digital video camera and unbridled optimism, the 20-something filmmaker set off to interview a wide range of children about their experiences of being 11 years old in a world that is changing as rapidly as they are themselves.

From Thailand and India to France and Japan, over the next four years more than a dozen 11 year olds – some affluent, some poor; no longer quite children, but not yet teenagers – spoke candidly and openly to Bailey about love, war, global warming, music, terrorism, culture, family, happiness, religion and the future.

Bailey's resulting documentary, a composite portrait of children around the world, is heartwarming, charming and life-affirming: a remarkable and engaging tapestry of young hopes, fears and dreams.

Melburnian Jamira talks about how proud she is of her Indigenous heritage and her father, who is raising her singlehandedly; young Frenchman Remi speaks passionately about his disdain for racism and his country's failure to deal with inequality and poverty; and in Thailand, Jack and Goh share their experiences of working in an elephant sanctuary.

Bookended by Bailey's deeply personal introduction to the documentary and a summing up of the experience of making it, the film includes sequences in which the young protagonists reveal startling insights into bullying and mental resilience, sweetly innocent attitudes towards romance and relationships, and remarkable self-awareness as they speak about not wanting to grow up too fast.

The patchwork assemblage of footage is linked together by the children's commonalities and shared experiences, such as a series of discussions about bullying; a guided tour of their homes; a sequence of dance routines. Though one occasionally wishes for more extended interviews rather than constant snippets of discussion, the overall effect is both detailed and delightful.

At numerous times while watching the film I was choking back tears; at other moments I was laughing unrestrainedly. Insightful, compassionate and poignant, I Am Eleven is highly recommended.