Aging out [electronic resource] / written, produced and directed by Roger Weisberg; co-produced and co-directed by Vanessa Roth.

New York, NY : Filmakers Library, 2004.

English

This edition in English.

1 online resource (86 min.).

Navigating the transition from adolescence to adulthood is challenging for even the most mature and privileged youth. For three young people in New York and Los Angeles, making the transition to independent living is considerably more difficult as they "age out" of the foster care system. They suddenly discover that they're on their own for the first time. Aging Out chronicles the daunting obstacles that these veterans of foster care encounter as they are forced to fend for themselves.Daniella Anderson juggles her college career with the hard reality of raising her newborn child and paying her bills. David Griffin leaves foster care for the streets, goes on a self-destructive drug and crime binge, copes with homelessness and incarceration, and eventually moves to Alaska with the hope of becoming a fisherman. And Risa Bejaramo attends her high school prom and graduates with several scholarships but also battles drug addiction and suffers an emotional breakdown during her freshman year of college. Although Aging Out presents an intimate and uncensored view of the difficult problems these teenagers face, the film also shows these young people using resiliency they developed during their years "in the system" to take control of their lives. Ultimately, this emotionally complex documentary becomes a deeply affecting portrait of the struggles of three young adults to overcome the scars of their troubled childhoods in order to realize their dreams of independence and fulfillment. Note: Sadly, Risa was the victim of a deadly murderer who killed her so she would not identify him for a previous felony. The film No Tomorrow reveals how Risa s life story, as depicted in Aging Out, was shown at the trial of the murderer and influenced the jury to declare the death sentence.

Originally released as DVD.
Title from resource description page (viewed May 24, 2011).

For High School; College; Adult audiences.

Bronze Plaque, Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 2004
CINE Gold Eagle, 2004

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