Lack of good storyline.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

The other reviewers here have articulated my view of this film. I went to see it because I have spent a good quarter century teaching 11 year olds and know the "magic" that they bring to the world. Want to be more optimistic about the future of humankind - hang out with some 11 year olds for a while. This film affords everyone the opportunity to do that. What I found a bit disconcerting was the film makers choice to travel to Thailand and spend the majority of the time interviewing an English speaking (British Expat) child when she could have taken the time to spend more time interviewing and seeing the life of the 11 year old Thai boy Goh. We did learn from Jack (the expat boy) that he indeed was pretty similar to all the other 11 year olds in the film, but I kept wanting to know more about Goh.

This doc does an excellent job showing kids from all over the world, how they're similar, different and everything in between. It's truly a labor of love, I brought my 12 year old to see it and I'm convinced he got to see other kids experiences from different cultures that will both highlight what it is to be an American and how others live. Very cool to see kids who are thinking so broadly and to see that other cultures while maybe not materially wealthy have out of this world experiences that any iPhone carrying kid will still be jealous of. Authentic filmmaking, reminiscent of the Up Series, I only hope they'll figure out a way to follow up with these kids!

Genevieve Bailey's journey through the lives and minds of eleven year old children globally, is genuinely heartwarming and insightful. Never veering into sentimentality, Bailey's sensitive portraits reveal some innermost truths, startling points of view - and moments of utter hilarity. Accompanying several 11 year olds through their everyday lives, Bailey captures their thoughts from on diverse range of subjects - from love, friendships and familial relationships - through to dreams, bullying and the environment. At turns surprisingly poignant and funny, it's a colourful ride from country-to-country, where each child is obviously so at ease with Bailey and her camera that they are simply, wonderfully, themselves. Beautifully shot with a melodic soundtrack, it's a gem of a film.

Shortly after young Melburnian Genevieve Bailey's father died, she embarked on her first trip overseas intent on doing something with her life.Most people in her position would have thrown themselves into a series of hedonistic backpacking adventures, but not Bailey. Armed only with a digital video camera and unbridled optimism, the 20-something filmmaker set off to interview a wide range of children about their experiences of being 11 years old in a world that is changing as rapidly as they are themselves.From Thailand and India to France and Japan, over the next four years more than a dozen 11 year olds – some affluent, some poor; no longer quite children, but not yet teenagers – spoke candidly and openly to Bailey about love, war, global warming, music, terrorism, culture, family, happiness, religion and the future.Bailey's resulting documentary, a composite portrait of children around the world, is heartwarming, charming and life-affirming: a remarkable and engaging tapestry of young hopes, fears and dreams.Melburnian Jamira talks about how proud she is of her Indigenous heritage and her father, who is raising her singlehandedly; young Frenchman Remi speaks passionately about his disdain for racism and his country's failure to deal with inequality and poverty; and in Thailand, Jack and Goh share their experiences of working in an elephant sanctuary.Bookended by Bailey's deeply personal introduction to the documentary and a summing up of the experience of making it, the film includes sequences in which the young protagonists reveal startling insights into bullying and mental resilience, sweetly innocent attitudes towards romance and relationships, and remarkable self-awareness as they speak about not wanting to grow up too fast.The patchwork assemblage of footage is linked together by the children's commonalities and shared experiences, such as a series of discussions about bullying; a guided tour of their homes; a sequence of dance routines. Though one occasionally wishes for more extended interviews rather than constant snippets of discussion, the overall effect is both detailed and delightful.At numerous times while watching the film I was choking back tears; at other moments I was laughing unrestrainedly. Insightful, compassionate and poignant, I Am Eleven is highly recommended.