FOSTER

a film by Deborah Oppenheimer & Mark Jonathan Harris

Runtime: 112 minutes

Closed Captioning included

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About the film

From Oscar™-winning filmmakers Deborah Oppenheimer & Mark Jonathan Harris and Participant Media, documentary film FOSTER takes an unprecedented look at an often-misunderstood world and upends some of the most enduring myths about foster care and those involved in the system. It is a revealing look at the foster care system as seen through the eyes of those who know it best.

There are currently more than 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S., a number that continues to grow each year. Drawing on unprecedented access, FOSTER traces a complex path through the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, interweaving first-hand stories of those navigating the system with insights from social workers, advocates and others working in the justice system. The film offers a realistic but hopeful perspective on a community that needs society's support. 

Press

"[Foster] 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" – The Guardian 

"...an intimate, intensely dramatic film that holds us in its grip like a page-turning novel. Except it's all true." – LA Times 

"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" – The Daily Dot 

"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." – Variety