Check and Mate in Queen of Katwe

Genre: Biographical, Sports, Drama

Starring:  Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o

Queen of Katwe is an American biographical film on the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan girl from the slum in Katwe. She learns to play chess and goes on to become a world champion.

Life is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona, her mother and younger family members. She helps her mother sell corn in the markets; scavenge for food and water, and baby cares her new baby brother. Her world changes the day she meets Robert Katende at a missionary program. Katende is a soccer coach who also teaches children to play chess at a community center. Once introduced to the game, Phiona’s world changes forever. She soon becomes a top chess player under Katende’s guidance, with continuous successes in competitions and tournaments. The film is a sensitive portrayal of how she faces stress and identity issues as her world moves beyond her corner in the slum. She embarks on a dream – to educate herself and gain success. She is fiercely motivated to escape the clutches of poverty and give a better life to her mother and siblings.

A sweet, sentimental and inspirational film, inspired by an ESPN magazine feature about the ‘rags to riches’ success story of this little girl Phiona, this became a Disney production directed by the legendary film maker Mira Nair.