Kling: The Teacher Who Defied the System – This Is Your Life
Director: Demetrius Matthews
Plot: A great teacher can educate, empower and uplift. “Kling: A Teacher Who Defied The System” is a tribute to one such extraordinary educator. In the West Side of Chicago in the mid-80s, 33-year-old Thomas Kling vowed to transform the lives of dozens of students lost in the pressure cooker of drugs and racism. His profound and lasting impact now shines in a documentary created by the very lives he saved.
Runtime: 1 Hour 3 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Thoughts on Kling: The Teacher Who Defied the System
Thoughts – Kling: The Teacher Who Defied the System is a documentary looking at how a teacher Thomas Kling came into the education system in the mid-80s in West Chicago, where he took the students and looked to inspire them outside of the normal style of teaching. Director Demetrius Matthews is one of the students that benefited from the teacher, with this being a chance to show his and other students respect for the teacher who help guide them through young life. We get to here from other students who credit Thomas Kling for guiding them, as well as from the teacher himself, who explains why he was involved in the teaching career. This does feel like a ‘this is your life’ style documentary, showing you can make a film to show the respect you had for someone who helped change your life.
Final Thoughts – Kling: The Teacher Who Defied the System is a This is Your Life tribute movie.
