Do you remember when you were 11?
Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey travelled the world for six years talking with 11-year-olds to compose this insightful, funny and moving documentary portrait of childhood. From an orphanage in India, to a single-parent household in inner-city Melbourne, to bathing with elephants in Thailand, I AM ELEVEN explores the lives and thoughts of children from 15 countries. I AM ELEVEN weaves together deeply personal and at times hilarious portraits of what it means to sit at this transitional age. These young minds provide us with a powerful insight into the future of our world.
These children share their thoughts on a range of subjects such as love, war, global warming, music, terrorism, culture, family, happiness, religion and the future. As straight up and personal as the ’7 Up’ series, and with the comedy and honesty of ‘Spellbound’, this documentary enables us to explore an age where these ‘not quite kids, not quite teenagers’ briefly linger, between the frank openness and sometimes naivety of childhood, and the sharp and surprisingly brave wisdom and knowing of adulthood. As much as it is a story about them, it is a story with them, of what it is like to be eleven today.
'Critic's Pick' – NEW YORK TIMES
★★★★ “Entrancing documentary. Stunning.” – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
"#1 Family Film to see in theaters this fall.” – TIME OUT NY
“An inspiring and candid look at that magical moment between childhood and adolescence and a glimpse into the future.” - TODAY
“A Fascinating and Must-See Documentary.“ – PARENTING HEALTHY
"You'll like this if you liked Spellbound, Mad Hot Ballroom, To Be and To Have, '7 Up' Series..." – WEST AUSTRALIAN
“Charming and uplifting” – VARIETY
"Irresistibly entertaining, even for non parents" – HERALD SUN
"Bailey's skill as an interviewer and filmmaker sparkles; a ticket to I AM ELEVEN will be a ticket to the first major documentary of a filmmaking name of the future." – FILM INK
“…irresistible. By turns the kids are charming, funny, goofy and absurdly serious. They say childish things that sound remarkably like commonsense when set against the complexities of adult life.” – FINANCIAL REVIEW
“…there’s something exhilarating about the movie’s reach and quiet ambition, and the thoughtful, bold, confident, wide-eyed and expressive 11-year-olds at its centre.” – THE AGE
“I AM ELEVEN is the sweetest film I have seen this year. Australian director Genevieve Bailey’s documentary features 11-year-olds from around the globe walking the isthmus between their private concerns and a world that’s ambushed them with images since two tall towers were obliterated in the first year of their lives.” – SUNDAY MAGAZINE
“…the key to the film’s success clearly lies in the personalities of the kids themselves. They are all engaging, natural, and at ease with expressing themselves, ensuring that I AM ELEVEN is incredibly poignant, funny and optimistic film.”
“…there’s an implicit trust between the subjects and the filmmaker which elevates the documentary.” – FILM INK
“I Am Eleven, has taken off and is a triumph of self-distribution.” – THE AUSTRALIAN
“Parents should take the G-rating for I Am Eleven at its word. The film’s all-ages appeal is strong.
If you think your children have been overdosing on too much computer-animated cotton candy, this here is the perfect way to broaden their palate.”
“… Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey gives a rare insight into a unique stage of humanity as she travels the world documenting the lives of a collection of eleven year olds.”
“For such a young age their knowledge and wisdom combined with their mature ability to convey thoughts and feelings is utterly astounding.” – ALTERNATIVE MEDIA GROUP OF AUSTRALIA