Foster

Name: Foster
Director: Mark Jonathan Harris
Released: 2018

Mark Jonathan Harris 2018

Drawing on unprecedented access, FOSTER explores the often-misunderstood world of foster care through compelling stories from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The documentary mixes firsthand accounts of people navigating the system with insights from social workers, advocates and others, offering a realistic but hopeful perspective on this community.

The documentary features the accounts of: a teenager who entered the system through tragic circumstances; a young woman transitioning to college; a former foster child who has overcome her painful past to become a powerful advocate; and a foster mother who has provided support to more than 100 children.

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Running Time:

113 min.

Spoken Languages:

English

Directors:

Mark Jonathan Harris

Producers:

Deborah Oppenheimer, Lisa Remington, Samantha Polan

Editors:

Kate Amend

Press

LA Times

“[Foster] created an intimate, intensely dramatic film that holds us in its grip like a page-turning novel. Except it’s all true.”

Kenneth Turan
The Guardian

“a mosaic of the foster care system. The film immortalizes the grit of Los Angeles, distant from the glimmering lights the city is known for, and illustrates the stories of those affected by the foster care system.”

Dream McClinton
The Daily Dot

“Over the course of two hours, Harris presents a wide-ranging and clear-eyed look at the potential and limits of the current foster care system. “

Eddie Strait
Variety

“The film also points out that the problems in and around the foster system are indicative of larger issues that society hasn’t addressed, such as poverty, drug addiction, unaddressed mental health issues and racism.”

Rachel Yang

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