There is a movie currently making the rounds at film festivals – both Jewish and secular – that highlights the amazing journey a person takes when they search for their own identity. Titled “Off and Running,” the documentary tells the story of Avery, a young African-American woman being raised by her adoptive Jewish lesbian mothers. The movie, which premiered at the renowned Tribeca Film Festival, follows Avery as she decides to contact her birth mother.

A review in the Washington Jewish Week described the movie as “rich with Jewish ceremonies,” and that “the film depicts how Avery is torn between finding her birth mother and accepting the richness of her adopted household.” In an age of ever increasing diversity in the Jewish community, this kind of experience – trying to recognize the complexity of identity and heritage – will resonate deeply with a large segment of the community.

If you live in the New York area and are interested in seeing the movie, it will open at the IFC Center on January 29th and run through February 4th. For additional information, you can visit the “Off and Running” website, www.offandrunningthefilm.com. The movie also has a fan page on Facebook, and you can follow it on Twitter.

We believe the movie will encourage conversations about identity and what it means to be Jewish in the 21st Century. We congratulate filmmaker Nicole Opper on her success, and hope she continues to use her talents to uncover personal stories that speak to the larger narratives of life.