"Use your minds. Follow your plans and you will all find safe squares"...

I recently watched Queen of Katwe, a true story about the discovery and achievement of a chess prodigy discovered in the slums of Katwe, Uganda. Disney hits a home run with this at-times gut wrenching (yet never lending to complete despair) story of eventual triumph. Did I mention it's a true story? Amazing that it is so! In the lowest moments there is always a ray of hope and way out. Here is Wikipedia's plot summry:

Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona (Madina Nalwanga) and her family. Her world changes one day when she meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) at a missionary program. Katende coaches soccer and teaches children to play chess. Curious, Phiona approaches and learns the game. She becomes fascinated with it and soon becomes a top player under Katende's guidance. Over several years, her success in competitions and tournaments leads to greater competitions, stress, and identity issues. Phiona must learn more than the game as she is exposed to life outside Katwe. Her education, both formally and informally, continues as she dreams of escaping a life of poverty for herself, her mother, and her siblings. --Wikipedia

I need more time to write a proper review, but for now I offer the trailer to peak your interest. I liked the film a lot. It dod not blow me away, but I am still thinking about it long after the credits have rolled. Phiona's story is quite compelling; her coach is something amazing, her family tenacious, and that Disney pulled this off, impressive. Filmed on location the film has received favorable reviews and is worth the time to take an interest in:

Queen of Katwe received positive reviews from critics, with David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong'o's performances receiving unanimous praise.^[43][44] Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 92%, based on 135 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's consensus states: "Queen of Katwe is a feel-good movie of uncommon smarts and passion, and Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo's outstanding performances help elevate the film past its cliches."^[45] On Metacritic, the film has a normalized rating of 73 out of 100, based on reviews from 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[46] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an "A+" grade.^[41] --Wikipedia