Skip to main

Runaway: Short Film and Curriculum

A historic runaway ad is the basis for this dramatic short film, shot on location at Philipsburg Manor.

In this dramatic short film, Sue, an enslaved woman on the Philipsburg plantation, attempts to help two enslaved men who have run away, while trying to keep her daughter from being sold off the next day. Set in 1740s Hudson Valley, New York, the film is based on an actual advertisement for a man named Galloway, who was last seen and “challenged,” or questioned, near the Philipsburg mill. The film was shot on location at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

By dramatizing a historic document, this film attempts to convey the complex emotional experiences of enslaved individuals, which do not typically come across through the historic record. Students have the opportunity to empathize with Sue and Galloway and to consider the choices each character makes in the balance between family and freedom.

A supplementary teaching guide includes prompts for discussion and post-viewing activities.

00 of 00