Netta Loevy

World Class Kids

"An Arab, a Jew, a Chinese, and a Philippine walk to school …" – sounds like the beginning of an old joke, but that’s not the case. These are some of the second-grade pupils attending an Elementary School, in the heart of Tel Aviv. The film follows the class throughout one school-year, which becomes volatile as the Gaza War upsets the social dynamics in the classroom. With poignant intuition and uninhibited directness, unique to eight-year olds, the children point out basic conflicts in Israeli society, deal with painful identity issues, and experience the first cracks in their childhood naivety. (From 25th International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)