"Necessary viewing for students, scholars, and general audiences alike"

Christopher Tounsel, Assoc. Prof. of History,

Director of African Studies, University of Washington

Runner

A film by Bill Gallagher

87 min | English SDH Captions | Scene Selection

Subtitle options: French, Bahasa, Lithuanian, Thai

When he was only 8 years old, Guor Mading Maker ran from captivity in war-torn Sudan to eventually seek safety in the US. In his new life, Maker began running again, participating in high school track and field and eventually becoming a sensation and qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. But because the newly formed South Sudan was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee, Maker had to fight to compete independently, refusing to run for Sudan and taking a stand against its oppression.

Runner depicts Maker’s difficult and triumphant journey from refugee to a world-renowned athlete, told in intimate interviews with gorgeously animated flashbacks of Guor’s upbringing, and culminating in a heart-wrenching reunion with his parents after a 20-year separation.

Runner is now available on DVD with public performance rights for purchase and rental by schools, libraries, and other organizations. Academic streaming can be licensed from Docuseek. Campus and community groups interested in hosting a community screening can book now through Bullfrog Communities.

WATCH THE TRAILER

“If hope needed a home, Runner would deliver the perfect dwelling place. This documentary challenged my intellectual understanding of the Olympic Movement and my emotional response to the generational suffering of displaced persons and refugees. The twists and turns of Guor Maker's life and athletic career kept me on the edge of my seat and in the end evoked a deeper commitment to using the power of sport to create moments of hope, healing, and reconciliation.”

Sarah Hillyer, Founder and Director, Center for Sport, Peace, and Society,

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

"Runner is a beautifully woven historical account of the devastation of war, the resilience of the human spirit, American generosity, and hope and despair. The documentary shows how Guor's run into the forest in South Sudan paved the way for a different kind of run: one that propelled him from high school athletics to the Olympics and a return home to mobilize future potential Olympians."

Martha Donkor, Professor of History and Women's and Gender Studies, West Chester University, Author, Sudanese Refugees in the United States: The Collateral Damage of Sudan's Civil War

"In Runner, Guor Marial punches through the thicket of sports and politics to carve a circuitous - and miraculous - path to the Olympics. Inspiring and heart-wrenching in equal measure, this film chronicles how Marial balanced the weight of a new nation on his shoulders, showing mental strength and physical stamina as he stirred deep pride in people from South Sudan, a country rooted in the depredations of colonialism and working through a brutal civil war. Runner throws a much-needed spotlight on the power of sport as a unifying force and the importance of folding refugees into the community so that everyone can thrive."

Jules Boykoff, Professor of Politics and Government, Pacific University,

Author, Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics

To order Runner,

visit the Bullfrog Films online catalog.

Order by phone at (610) 779-8226

or email us at info@bullfrogfilms.com

Bullfrog Films is the oldest and largest publisher of documentary films about the environment in the United States. We define "environment" broadly, and our catalog includes programs on ecology, energy, agriculture, indigenous peoples, women's studies, environmental justice, international relations, sustainable development, anthropology, economics, ethics, and conflict resolution.