For two years director Sarah Goodman was allowed into the deep inner sanctum of a private boy's school as she followed the lives and captured the experiences of two friends, Noah and Colin. Starting in grade eight, Goodman trains her camera as the two grow up and make their way to senior school stopping along the way to play video games, sing in the choir, and goof off or nap in class. Watching the boys study Lord of the Flies with an inspired English teacher is fascinating. Emotional struggles flicker beneath the surface as the pecking order they establish takes its toll on their friendship, and thoughtful, sincere Noah becomes more isolated. The boys are defining themselves in contrast to each other: Who is cooler? Who is doing what? Who is growing up faster? As the film progresses, Noah seeks other friends beyond Colin’s circle and their childhood seems to be fading away. But something changes in Grade 10, and When We Were Boys returns one year later there is a surprisingly poignant resolution between Noah and Colin The way each negotiates the culture of boys begins to define the leaders, fathers, and men they will become.
81 Minutes - Documentary
Canadian Distributor: Kinosmith
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