An experiment in democracy is taking place its Wuhan, China. A third grade class at Evergreen Primary School is holding first-ever elections for the coveted title of Class Monitor-a powerful position helping to control the students, keeping them on task and doling out punishment to those who disobey. At school, the eight-year-old candidates- two boys and a girl- talk to classmates one-on-one, make promises, plan tactics (including negative ones) and at times express doubts about their own candidacies. At home, each child is coached by his or her parents and pushed to practice and memorize for each stage of the campaign.

As the campaign takes its toll on all three candidates, we are left to decide if the experiment in democracy has been "successful" and what it might mean for the reception of democracy in China. This is a portrait of a society and a city through a school, its children and its families. [subtitles]

pleasevoteforme.org

Twelve-year-old Omondi lives in Kibera, Nairobi, the second largest slum in  Africa. Everyday he sees airplanes fly over him and dreams of becoming an airline pilot and flying far away. The film follows the boy as he walks through the slum that is his home, his neighborhood, his world, as he hopes and plans for a better life. [subtitles]

iwantobeapilot.com

Eleven-year-old Mariam is determined to buy a birthday cake. But not just any old cake, it has to be the right one. When she realizes that she doesn't have enough money, she sets out to brave the obstacles and land some cash. What begins as a simple trip to the bakery turns into a journey that subtly depicts not only the tensions of a politically charged environment, but also illustrates the grief that can only result from growing up under occupation. [subtitles]

makeawishmovie.com