Incarcerated fathers, daughters reunite at dance in documentary
Angela Patton has devoted her career to listening to the needs of young girls.
Over a decade ago, the CEO of the nonprofit Girls For a Change and founder of Camp Diva Leadership Academy helped start a program in Richmond, Virginia, that created a daddy daughter dance for girls whose fathers are in prison.
The “Date With Dad” idea wasn’t hers, however. It came from a 12-year-old Black girl.
The popularity of a 2012 TEDWomen talk about the initiative, which has been viewed over 1 million times, had many filmmakers clamoring to tell the story. But she didn’t feel anyone was right until Natalie Rae came along.
“Natalie actually made the effort and put the energy in to come to visit with me, to meet the families that I have worked with in the past, and just to learn and be a willing participant,” Patton said in a recent interview.
The two began an eight-year journey as co-directors to make the documentary “Daughters,” which follows four girls as they prepare to reunite with their fathers for a dance in a Washington, D.C., jail.
“Daughters,” which was executive produced by Kerry Washington, premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film won the Festival Award, which is voted on by Sundance audiences, and the audience award for U.S. documentary.
With intimate moments inside the homes of the girls, and glimpses into the intensive 12-week therapy session the fathers participate in prior, “Daughters” paints a moving and complex portrait of fractured bonds and healing.
“It was just one of the most powerful stories I had ever come across,” Rae said. “For me, it was a beautiful example of what change can happen in the world when we listen to the wisdom of young women. This is a young Black girls’ idea, and she knew what her and her father needed.”
In the same spirit, the two filmmakers agreed that they wanted “Daughters” to be from the girls’ perspectives.
“I am always an advocate for them,” Patton said. “I hear them saying that ‘My dad is valuable to me, but I’m really ticked off at him right now.’ Or ‘My dad is great, and someone else is trying to tell me that he’s not, and I want you to not see my father as the bad man because he made a poor decision. But he still loves me.’ I’m hearing all of these lived experiences through many girls in the community. I want to see how we can help them.”
Though Patton has for many years worked with Black families in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, for the film there would have to be another level of trust in establishing close relationships with the girls and their mothers, asking what they needed and were comfortable with and knowing when to turn the cameras on and off.
“You have to get to know the families. I come from understanding that in order for us to build trust in the community, I have to co-create with them,” Patton said.
Rae was a newcomer to this world, but Patton said that her co-director “took it to the next level” getting to know their subjects and earning their trust.
“Daughters” is what some people are calling a “three tissue” movie that is sure to pull at heartstrings. The filmmakers hope that it can also be an agent of change, a powerful example of the importance of visits in which girls can hug their fathers.