Movies about teachers who change the lives of underprivileged students are universally popular and often critically acclaimed. Films such as To Sir, With Love, Stand and Deliver, and Dangerous Minds are just a few examples; the formula changing only slightly for each new generation. Well, now there is Radical, which stars CODA actor Eugenio Derbez as real-life teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who sought to improve the education of students in a Mexican slum.
In the new trailer, we see Correa as he implements a minimally invasive form of education created by Sugata Mitra. It involves removing barriers to the students’ curiosity and intuition, allowing them to learn freely of their own will.
Christopher Zalla wrote and directed the film based on the 2013 Wired article, “A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses” by Joshua Davis. Reviews were wildly positive after its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, where it won the “Festival Favorite” award.
Here’s the synopsis: In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher (Eugenio Derbez) tries a radical new method to unleash the curiosity and potential of his students … and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story.
Radical opens in theaters on November 3rd.
