Children are in foster care because they or their families are going through a crisis. Often these children, from babies to teens, have been removed from their parents because they are unsafe, abused or neglected or their parents are unable to care for them.
Children placed into foster care are often angry, depressed and resentful, and understandably so. As such, many foster parents find it difficult to manage the relationships with their foster kids, and for one reason or another, these situations often don’t work out. The kids are then shuffled from home to home, yearning for love and stability.
This groundbreaking short film by Nathaniel Matanick is entitled “ReMoved,” and it follows the emotional story through the eyes of a young girl taken from her dysfunctional home, torn away from her baby brother, and placed into foster care. At times, it’s completely heartbreaking but captivating nonetheless. The Santa Barbara Independent writes, “It would be impossible to fully understand the life and emotions of a child going through the foster care system, but this short narrative film portrays that saga in a poetic light, with brushes of fear, anger, sadness, and a tiny bit of hope.”
The little girl named Zoe, played brilliantly by Abby White, is forced to cope with abusive relationships and the feeling of isolation. First, she catches her father abusing her mother. When the cops come to arrest him, all Mom cares about is chasing after the man who abuses her in an effort to get him back. Zoe is left to fend for herself. Then, the foster homes continue to fail her and no one seems to understand. But just when Zoe is about to lose all hope, assuming her new foster mom is ready to ship her out to yet another caretaker, there’s an unexpected twist. I guarantee it’ll leave you with tears in your eyes.