Brooklyn Castle

In The Midst of Greatness: "Brooklyn Castle"
I feel that this documentary should be shown in every school from elementary through high school. It shows friendship, teamwork, success, hard work and study. Committed parents and what that does for the children, chess... the challenges of chess. A commited school, "I.S. 318" and what the teachers do for the kids. It shows how this great game, can instill confidence,teach not to give up. If they
lose a game, it is not necessarily the tournament and that there are lesson's to be learned from the losses as well as wins. They learned to help each other, the students & teachers. The kids learned
to participate in the political process to save their own school and team from budget cuts, and to work together to raise funding for the after school program and then to petition the government and
school board for additional funding. They have learned life lessons from this game we call, chess. They all have profitted from their experiences. In fact our Congress of the United...

Wonderful Documentary
This documentary highlights the successful chess program at a Brooklyn middle school. What is powerful truly powerful is seeing the impact of chess on the lives of the young people involved with their school's chess program. The program and it's wonderful teachers truly empower students to work hard and try their best. The students, most of whom live in poverty not only find out the power that they each have but also the power that they have as a group. The documentary also highlights the impact that the economy and budget cuts can have on extracurricular programs such as chess... and ultimately how it could impact the future of our youth.

Wonderful
I grew up playing chess under the teaching of several grandmasters. I was ranked 10th in the nation for under 18 when I was younger. When I look back on those days I remember all the great friends I made but I also remember the incredible pressure that was placed on me. The movie does a great job of capturing this pressure. It captures the nervousness of players as well as the excitement and joy of winning. Lots of nostalgia for me in watching this film; however, it is still a great watch for individuals who have never played a game of chess. A great mix of chess and life.

Click to Editorial Reviews