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Deep Dive: Brooklyn Castle (2012)

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Brooklyn Castle
Brooklyn Castle is a documentary about Intermediate School 318, an inner-city public school in Brooklyn, New York. The film focuses on the school's after-school chess program, which has managed to thrive despite significant budget cuts. It features the school's chess team, which has become the most successful junior high school chess team in the United States, including being the first middle school team to win the national high school championship organized by the United States Chess Federation. The documentary follows five members of the chess team over the course of a year, from April 2009 to June 2010. It captures their experiences both in chess competitions and in their personal lives, illustrating the impact of the chess program on their development and success. The film premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival on March 11, 2012, and was later released in U.S. theaters on October 19, 2012.

Why Watch

  • •Meet the talented chess team at I.S. 318.
  • •Follow five students over a year of competition.
  • •See how chess changes lives in an inner-city school.

Did You Know

•Brooklyn Castle premiered at SXSW on March 11, 2012.
•The film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 45 reviews.
•I.S. 318 is the first middle school to win the national high school chess championship.

Perfect For

Chess enthusiastsEducation advocatesDocumentary lovers