African-American boys have a very high chance of being incarcerated or killed before they reach adulthood. In Baltimore, one of the country's most poverty-stricken cities for inner-city residents, the Baraka School project was founded to break the cycle of violence through an innovative education program that literally removed young boys from low-performing public schools and unstable home environments.

SYNOPSIS
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.

"The Boys of Baraka" focuses on four boys: Devon, Montrey, Richard and his brother Romesh. Their humor and explicit truthfulness give intimate insight into their optimistic plans, despite the tremendous obstacles they face both at home and in school. Through extensive time with the boys in Baltimore and in Africa, the film captures the kids' amazing journey and how they fare when they are forced to return to the difficult realities of their city.

"The Boys of Baraka" zeros in on kids that society has given up on - - boys with every disadvantage, but who refuse to be cast off as "throw-aways."

"The Boys of Baraka," shot and edited over a four-year period, follows four young boys who leave troubled neighborhoods in Baltimore to attend the Baraka School in the rural bush land of Kenya. Watch several scenes not shown in the broadcast version of the film.


It premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2005 winning a Special Jury Prize. The film also won the Audience Award Best Feature Film at the 2005 Silverdocs Festival at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland. The film also won the Gold Hugo at The Chicago Film Festival, won the NAACP Image Award and was nominated for an Emmy.

Additional Details
MPAA:Rated R for some language.
Runtime:84 min
Country:USA
Language:English
Color:Color
Certification:USA:Unrated | USA:R | Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:Baltimore, Maryland, USA and Kenya

Production: Loki Films
a co-production of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), produced in association with American Documentary | P.O.V.

Distributors
THINKFilm (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
Velocity Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
National Film Network (????) (USA) (DVD)

Produced and Directed by
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady

Editor
Enat Sidi

Cinematography
Marco Franzoni and Tony Hardmon

Original Music
J.J. McGeehan

Creative Consultant
Sam Pollard

Associate Producer
Jeremy Duhme

Additional Camera
Mira Chang
Jonny Fego
Sean Fine
Nicholas Hughes
Robert Palumbo
Sadia Shepard

Editing Assistants
Jeremy Duhme
Anne Eastman
Minnea Lin
Jacquelyn Shulman

Additional Music
J.J. Appleton

Musicians
Vocals
Abdoulaye Diabate

Percussion
Graham Hawthorne

Bass
Mamadou Ba
Janek Gwizalda

Extra Guitars
Vincent Nguini

Tablas
Deep Singh

"New Action at a Distance"
Includes Samples from "Action at a Distance" by Matmos
Under the Creative Commons Copyright

Online
Ken Sirulnick
Glue Editing and Design

Sound Editors
Margaret Crimmins
Greg Smith
Dog Bark Sound

Re-recording Mixer
Tony Volante

Mix Facility
Soundtrack f/t

Technical Advisor
Daniel Praid

Titles and Graphics
Edward Boyce

Production Stills
Corey Kohn

Graphic Designers
Clay Weiner
Susan Barber

Production Accountant
Martha Skolnik

Production Insurance
D. Reiff & Associates

Legal
Dembitzer & Dembitzer

Production Interns
Danielle DiGiacomo
Lisa Forrest
Cameron Greve
Katherine Joaquin
Nikos Katsaounis
Jessica Saunders
Kate Tipson
Gabe Wakeman
John Welgus

Special Thanks
Ms. Mary Scanlan
Mavis Jackson
Chris Doherty
The Abell Foundation
Mary Ann Thyken
Claire Aguilar
Richard O'Connell
Marlene Velasco
Cara Mertes
Ed Burns
Vera Holly
Vanessa Pyatt
Charles Dutton
Jonathan Stack
Alexia Katsaounis
Jesse Muha
Bonnie Goldstein
Jim Grady
Paul and Mary Sue Ewing
Ray Berttula
Cynthia Shade
Doug Easdon
Maryland Division of Correction
City College High School

The Boys of Baraka are:
Devon Brown
Richard Keyser, Jr.
Montrey Moore
Romesh Vance
Darius Chambers
Dejuan Clacken
Jordon Fields
Davon Gilchrist
Edward Green
Kevin Hollman
Brandon Lane
Derek Mack
Justin Mackall
Mark McCullegan
Charles Pratt
Davon Randolph
Antwan Rooks
Clarence Ryan
Quentin Shaw
Brandon Shields
Tyrone Thornton
Michael Williams

Loki Films owes a deep debt of gratitude to the boys and their families who shared their lives with us.

Executive Producer for ITVS
Sally Jo Fifer

Produced for the Independent Television Service with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Produced in Association with P.O.V./American Documentary, Inc.

This program was produced by Loki Films, LLC, which is solely responsible for its content.

Copyright ©2005, Loki Films, LLC. All Rights Reserved