Holy Cross: Young Plato features Belfast primary pupils inspired by philosophers

Some wise advice from Socrates on the school mural

"My favourite philosopher is Aristotle and his motto is 'make thinking a habit not a skill.'"

Conor is not a university student, but a pupil at Holy Cross Boys Primary School in north Belfast.

But philosophy has become part of his and other pupils' lives, in and out of school.

And those classes at Holy Cross and those lives are captured in 'Young Plato' - a new feature length documentary.

It will be screened in cinemas in Northern Ireland from Friday.

Holy Cross is a big primary school with more than 400 boys right in the middle of Ardoyne.

But right outside the school gates is the school mural, depicting a pupil in the pose of Rodin's The Thinker surrounded by pictures of Aristotle, Socrates and Plato.

Boys take lessons in and from those ancient philosophers, lessons they use both inside and outside of the classroom.

For Alfie, knowing philosophy helps him deal with failure.

"In philosophy, you can use FDL - which is face it, deal with it and learn from it," he told BBC News NI.

Alfie is one of the pupils taking lessons in and from ancient philosophers

"Honestly, it's just a great way to calm down and think about what other people are thinking about.

"If you fail, you may as well face it, deal with it and then try to get better."

"Philosophy is about thinking," another pupil Dylan said, "and as Alfie says it's a way to be calm."

The whole-school approach is the brainchild of Holy Cross principal Kevin McArevey.

"The philosophy that they're learning is about the promotion of mental health and well-being," he said.

"We want the children to look for bias and prejudice and to challenge statements.

"Challenge leads to change.

"We want the boys in this area to go out as articulate, confident young boys who are always ready no matter what the given situation is to question and to answer."

The whole-school approach is the brainchild of Holy Cross principal Kevin McArevey

But it is not just an academic exercise.

If conflict happens between pupils, philosophy is part of sorting it out between the boys involved - in front of a special 'philosophy wall' in the school.

"They will talk about what is a friend, looking at respect, looking at usefulness, looking at helping them when they're down and things like that," Mr McArevey said.

"I'm providing a sort of a forum so that when altercations come, for them to have a discussion and a conversation about why did it happen and what could we improve for the next time?"

Pupils also talk often in class about the often divided society beyond the school gates they are growing up in.

Those conflicts, discussions and resolutions are depicted in Young Plato.

The film-makers spent almost two years living the life of the school - basing themselves in a classroom day after day - in order to capture those honest conversations.

Plato also features in the school mural

Neasa Ní Chianáin is one of the directors of Young Plato.

"It's an extraordinary story," she said.

"What I've noticed here in the school here in Holy Cross is how the teachers, the classroom assistants, everyone who works here will talk to the children.

"They give them the space to talk about whatever it is going on for them and that's really, really powerful.

"When people see the transformation in some of these children and what they can do and how articulate they are and how they think things through I think it gives great hope for the next generation."

Mr McArevey also hopes that his staff are teaching pupils lessons for life long after Holy Cross.

But Dylan is also excited to see himself on the big screen in the here and now.

Dylan says he is excited to see himself on the big screen

"It's so crazy because this is like one shot in a lifetime," he said.

The film has already had many good reviews after showings at festivals across the globe.

The Guardian newspaper, for instance, gave it four stars out of five, calling it "a very engaging film".

Young Plato is on general release in cinemas in Northern Ireland from Friday 11 March and in the Republic of Ireland from Friday 18 March.