A message for our at-risk kids

A MOVIE shown on NITV on Thursday night was one of inspiration and purpose for troubled youth in our indigenous communities and suburbs.

It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It was stark and realistic.

The movie is about Genesis Potini, a brilliant New Zealand chess player who suffers from severe bipolar disorder. He finds purpose by teaching underprivileged children about the rules of chess and life.

It focusses on a gang and 15-yearold Mana, whose father, the gang’s leader, wants his son to join the ”Vagrants”. It involves horrific rites of passage, including a violent home invasion, being severely bashed, having a crude V tattooed on his face and being urinated on.

His uncle is the mentally disturbed man who creates the Eastern Knights Chess Club in Gisborne and coaches the youngsters to the standard required to play in New Zealand’s junior chess championships.

Mana defies his father and travels to Auckland with the other youths. Only he and another Maori teenager, Michael, win their matches. Michael eventually takes the title, much to the dismay of other players, mainly from private schools.

The way that this film deals with chess, Maori mythology, mental illness, gangs, youngsters and weaves them all together is just so compelling.

It moves from tragedy to comedy, without ever feeling forced, and the performances from people that apparently have never acted before in their lives is really hard to believe and so impressive.

The point is The Dark Horse movie is a real life story.

Eastern Knights continue to this day but sadly Potini has since died.