Shadow Scholars, The (F/F)

Dir. Eloise King | United Kingdom | 98 min | 2024

The Shadow Scholars takes an indepth look at the contract-cheating industry, which involves tens of millions of students around the world submitting essays provided by online academic writing services – with ‘clients’ including people studying science and medicine at some of global academic’s most prestigious institutions. Due to its high level of education and the poor prospects for its graduates both in and outside the country, Kenya has become the world leader in supplying expertly written papers, at speed, to university students around the world,  particularly in the United States. In exposing the scope and scale of contract cheating, the film reveals the broader colonialism and racism that continues to keep gifted Kenyans from competing on an equal playing field with graduates from the richer countries. Featuring interviews with writers, the students who use their services, and members of the global academic communities – including the revered Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o – The Shadow Scholars is a thought-provoking and eye-opening film.