by Elizabeth Smith
synopsis
This film documents the brave attempts of an 89-year-old African-American woman in Los Angeles to maintain custody of her grandson against immense odds. Eighteen months of this woman's struggle are captured on film, including the aftermath of her heart attack. Segments reveal how the authorities stepped in more forcefully after the young boy burned down the family home and how the boy reacted to permanent placement in a group home. The film was picked as the Best Documentary Short at the 2000 Oscar ceremonies.
characteristics
- Mental-institution
- Kids In Trouble
- Insane-asylum
- Grandson
- Orphan
- Single Parents
- Welfare [govt. Aid]
- Struggle
- Social-Services
- Grandmother
- Golden Years
- Bureaucrat
- Bureaucracy
- Aging
- Custody-battle
