Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail.
For most of the daughters, the dance will be the only time they will be able to touch or hug their fathers during sentences, some of which are as long as 20 years.
Daughters is a feature documentary co-directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, with cinematography by Michael Cambio Fernandez, edit by Troy Lewis and Adelina Bichis and music by Kelsey Lu, now available globally on Netflix.
A result of an eight-year documentary journey, the film inhabits the lives of these young girls, leaving the audience to witness firsthand the rippling effects of their fathers’ absence, as well as the love their fathers have for them. What unfolds is an intimate, healing portrait of a generation of youth bearing the weight of mass incarceration, while still showing what is possible. In-person visitation for these families has been systematically shut down across the U.S. since 2014. The only way to connect with incarcerated family members is through costly video calls, creating barriers for families to stay connected while video-conferencing companies profit.
Through Co-Director Angela Patton, we had one-of-a-kind access to incarcerated fathers going through intensive therapy as a part of the 12-week Date With Dad program in a D.C. jail. Counter to the systematic practices that oppress family bonds, the goal of the program is to strengthen relationships with daughters and other essential life skills for a successful and lasting reintegration into communities after incarceration. By the end of the 12 weeks, we see the fathers prepared as they step into a life-changing dance with their daughters.
While Angela captured and honed the program, Co-Director Natalie Rae delved deeper with the girls and moms, getting to know them and hearing firsthand their stories and the ripple effects on their lives over the course of five years.
The film made its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and took home two awards: Festival Favorite and Audience Choice: U.S. Documentary Competition.
