Reviews and Festivals
"Recommended. Offer[s] an unflinching look at one promising attempt to combat educational underachievement. That it is not successful in Harry's case is a sobering reminder that there is no single answer."
— Video Librarian
"Provides an unfiltered experience of student life...Excellent at capturing students’ emotions as they go about their typical school day...Especially powerful at conveying that underlying anxiety of students with special needs...The unique aspect of this film is that it goes beyond life within the school to focus on how the students’ home lives impact their performance...Provides a unique perspective into the life of students, their strengths, and their challenges, that would be beneficial for all educators to see. Recommended for general audiences in education and sociology collections."
— Educational Media Reviews Online
"Brilliant and moving documentary...Re-inspired my commitment to advocate even more for the kind of inclusive education in this country — and every country — needs for children caught in the lower economic spectrum. Directors Ed Owles and Jaime Taylor capture the challenges that the well-meaning teachers face with each student...A heartfelt journey that highlights the commitment we all need to make to help each child have a fair shot at success and happiness. This film should be mandatory for every teacher, administrator, parent, student, and concerned citizen."
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NY Times best-selling author, NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer
"A wonderful documentary, enabling a wide audience to engage with crucial issues in education."
— Professor Martin Mills, Institute of Education
"A doc with a huge heart and passion to start a conversation about education...A must see!"
— Dave Garrett, Programmer, National Literacy Trust
"A smart documentary that exposes the appalling flaws in Britain's education system...This is top-class whistle-blowing. Here's hoping for a sequel called What Harry Did Next."
— The Evening Standard
"Casting a spotlight on one of the biggest education scandals in Britain...heartbreaking."
— The Sunday Times
"This heartbreaking documentary charts the struggles of a year-seven pupil from a disadvantaged background - and offers no easy answers...unobtrusive, tightly focused fly-on-the-wall documentary."
— The Guardian
"Shines a light on a scarcely believable fact: that in the 21st century, in one of the most developed countries in the world, one in five children leave primary school unable to read or write properly."
— The Observer
"An energetic and urgent documentary, highlighting an important issue that receives far less attention than it warrants...H is For Harry offers an authentic insight into the effects of poverty and inequality in one of the richest nations in the world."
— The Lancet
"With forensic focus, H is For Harry picks up one boy's story and runs with it. The result is a warm, engaging and sometimes heartbreaking slice of life that consciously brings the "forgotten" from the shadows and gives them a voice."
— The Telegraph
"Powerful and unique documentary...Many of the debates we have on literacy are led by academics and policymakers, but this unique film has achieved something very different. It approached the debate on inter-generational illiteracy, its impact on social mobility and educational disadvantages through the voice and story of a child and parent -- raising some uncomfortable truths and realities."
— Seema Malhotra, MP
"H is for Harry presents the shocking situation faced by Harry, living in educational poverty, unable to learn...Vivid portrayal of the many thousands of children from across the UK, who like him need to develop their 'inner core', building the core strength needed to facilitate learning. We need to act fast to galvanise society to act against what is ultimately the social injustice of our time."
— Professor Sonia Blandford, UCL
"When you see H is for Harry, you will see how far we've come and how much further we've got to go."
— Lord Andrew Adonis, British Labour Party
"Prescient, observational film...H is for Harry authentically highlights the gulf between the 4.1 million British children living in poverty and a system which does not support their needs."
— IntoFilm
"As the film highlights, inequalities in literacy and social mobility are deeply entrenched within local communities."
— Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust
"Incredibly poignant film, highlighting inequality and the power of inclusive leadership. This subtle documentary captures the reality which many schools face in the current climate. Harry's story shows us that behind every statistic is a real child, with hopes and dreams and the right to achieve those. Highlighted in this touching - and at times, humorous - story, we see the power of dedicated teachers and leaders, committed to changing outcomes for children."
— Kiran Gill, CEO, The Difference
"Raises big questions over the scale of resources needed to tackle entrenched disadvantage in schools...A wonderfully honest portrayal of the compassion and care at the heart of the Reach Feltham approach and how sometimes even this isn't enough."
— Fiona Spellman, CEO, SHINE
"Given the opportunity for self expression, you really cannot best the vocalized imagination of a child. To that end, H is for Harry is a joyous and uplifting delight."
— The Film Blog Review
WINNER
SCREENED AT
OECD World Forum
TEDx Doncaster
Teach for All Conference
Institute of Education
University of Canterbury International Children's Day
Conservative Party Conference
IDFA Market Selection
Sheffield MeetMarket
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Golden Tree Film Festival
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival
Open City Documentary Festival
DocsMX
Tartu World Film Festival
Ethnocineca
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