The Boys of Baraka
The Boys of Baraka Image
Metascore
71 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: On September 12, 2002 twenty "at risk" 12-year-old boys from the tough streets of inner-city Baltimore left home to attend the 7th and 8th grade at Baraka, an experimental boarding school located in Kenya, East Africa. Here, faced with a strict academic and disciplinary program as well as the freedom to be normal teenage boys, these brave kids began the daunting journey towards putting their lives on a fresh path. This documentary focuses on four of these boys and captures their amazing journey. (Loki Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    100
    Warmly funny and very moving.
  2. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    Ewing and Grady could have done a better job filling in each boy's back story, as well as explaining exactly how Baraka started and what its agenda is. But the film is clearly a labor of love, portraying the lives of its subjects with tremendous intimacy and passion.
  3. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Eric Campos
    80
    An entertaining experience as the filmmakers focus on a few select boys who provide a wealth of charm as they struggle with their new surroundings.
  4. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Bill White
    50
    The most interesting moments in the film are the videotapes sent back and forth between the parents and students, as they communicate the sadness of children separated from their distant families.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. M&V
    10
    We both loved the Boys of Baraka. Especially the hedgehog!
  2. GregoryM.
    8
    I saw this at the Chicago International Film Festival with a friend of mine who was a residential counselor at this school for 3 years. The film is well made and poignant, crafted with surprising skill from its freshmen directors. Unfortunately, there is a lot they left out for political purposes so a film that sets out to examine urban life, poverty, crime and race ends up neglecting the institutionalization of these same problems.… Expand
  3. K.Douglas
    7
    Like Hoop Dreams,both hopeful and heartbreaking.Unlike H.D.,not enough background material to fully satisfy the audience.

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