Spellbound: Hot Docs

The tagline 'Little kids. Big words' admirably sums up Jeffrey Blitz's Oscar-nominated documentary. In America, the Spelling Bee is a competitive phenomenon, as schoolchildren from every state compete to get to the finals in Washington and win the national title plus $10,000. Blitz follows eight aspiring youngsters, from the early rounds to the final, each of the children from a very different background and with a very different temperament. Quirky, charming and increasingly compelling as the finals approach, this film also offers a chance not only to learn how to spell 'succedaneum' but what it means!