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Synopsis Off and Running tells the story of Brooklyn teenager Avery, a track star with a bright future. She is the adopted African-American child of white Jewish lesbians and has two adopted brothers— one mixed-race and one Korean. But when her curiosity about her African-American roots grows, she decides to contact her birth mother. This choice propels Avery into her own complicated exploration of race, identity, and family that threatens to distance her from the parents she’s always known.
Buy the DVD Now you can own a copy of acclaimed documentary Off and Running, featuring bonus materials that include extra scenes, outreach notes, an ITVS-sponsored short film about the film's composer and more...Order the DVD ScreeningsHost a screening and share this film with your synagogue, school or community. Contact us at info@bechollashon.org to discuss potential venues and facilitators in your area. |
Talking to AdolescentsOff and Running is a wonderful resource for exploring a variety of issues surrounding racial identity, LGBT issues, transracial adoption and Jewish diversity. However, this film may not be appropriate for younger audiences, as it deals with teen sex, pregnancy, abortion, running away, and academic failure. Sarah Spencer, LMFT, recommends that this film be viewed with a facilitator who has experience addressing adolescent identity issues. Parenting TipsParenting is something we both do and feel, incorporating behaviors and our attitudes. How can we raise children from mixed families or within diverse communities to embrace and identify with all parts of their cultural heritage? Here are some tips by Genevieve Okada Jewish LearningThoughts and questions on the nature of identity and the role of names in shaping our conceptions of self, by Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, featuring the poem Every Man Has a Name by Zelda. An Adoptee's StoryOff and Running resonates with Collier Meyerson, a bi-racial Jew adopted by a Black non-jewish mother and White Ashkenazi Jew father. |