Children of the gang and chess

I went to see the one movie I really wanted to see, The Dark Horse, a New Zealand film based on the true story of Genesis Potini, a former chess champion who spent years in an out of mental institutions battling with severe bipolar disorder. Out of hospital he was advised to find something positive to do. His family and all their friends were gang members, rather threatening characters. Genesis decided to teach the children of these gang members chess and prepare them for a chess tournament in Auckland. The ideas seemed quite crazy in the environment these children lived in, but the children took to it with enthusiasm. Going from Gisborne to Auckland for the tournament was a very big deal for them.  It was the best thing that ever happened to them. It was the best thing for Genesis too. He gained respect and acceptance. As a film it was there with the very best. I can't even think of a film I could compare it with. It is dark. Bipolar disorder is a terrible condition. Genesis got little sympathy from the gang members, the circle he moved in. The subject might have been distressing, but the film is quite uplifting with a positive message. You don't realise how much tension there can be following a chess move in a children's tournament.