A NEW Netflix documentary chronicles the difficulties of incarceration on Black families.
The film, Daughters, follows multiple girls as they process their fathers’ incarcerations and prepare for a father-daughter dance in prison.
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Daughters was directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae.
“Four girls prepare to reunite with their fathers through a special dance at a DC jail in this moving documentary about the healing power of love,” its Netflixdescription states.
The documentary shows how separation within families leads to strain.
Viewers see 15-year-old Raziah discuss the difficulties of only getting 15 minutes at a time to talk to her father Alonzo, who is serving a 30-year prison sentence.
They also see 10-year-old Santana open up about her frustrations with her father Mark’s actions as she rehearses what she wants to say to him at the dance.
“I’m done shedding tears because he wants to keep doing bad stuff that he shouldn’t be doing—it’s not OK. It’s affecting me.”
Santana also revealed that she never wants to have children, saying, “You could give me a million dollars, still not going to be a mother.”
Rae spoke of the emotional film with Netflix’s Tudum.
“I would recommend you have a candle, tissues, water, and that you just breathe,” she said.
Patton added, “Take breaks if you have to, but we do want you to finish it — and then I want you to share it with someone else.”
Patton has served as the CEO of Girls For A Change— a nonprofit that empowers Black girls in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia— for over 20 years, per the outlet.
She is also the founder of Camp Diva Leadership Academy.
“I didn’t see anyone else showing up for Black girls the way that I felt that they deserve,” she said when speaking with Tudum.
One of Patton’s programs, Date with Dad, hosts a father-daughter dance for girls whose fathers are incarcerated, allowing a unique moment for separated families to spend time together despite the hardships of the prison system.
Patton spoke about this impactful program during a 2012 TEDxWomen talk, which inspired Rae to reach out with the hope of documenting the event, leading to Daughters.
Because a father is locked in does not mean he should be locked out of his daughter’s life,” Patton said in the viral talk.
“I had a vision of how powerful I thought the dance was going to be,” Rae said to Tudum.
Who is Angela Patton and how can I watch Daughters?
Angela Patton co-directed the Netflix documentary Daughters alongside Natalie Rae.
Patton has spent more than 20 years as the CEO of Girls For A Change — a nonprofit that empowers Black girls in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
One of her programs, Date with Dad, is behind the father-daughter dances that allow daughters to spend time with their incarcerated fathers.
The activist was behind a viral 2012 TEDxWomen talk in which she spoke about these programs.
A 2019 Date with Dad dance in a Washington, D.C. prison was featured in Daughters.
Those with a Netflix subscription can watch the film now.
It was released on the streaming giant on August 14, 2024.
DAUGHTERS DOCUMENTARY
Throughout the documentary, viewers see the fathers and daughters prepare for the dinner dance held at a Washington DC prison in 2019, per Time.
“Having the dance is a pivotal moment for them in their trajectory, but they need support as well,” fatherhood coach Chad Morris, who worked with the fathers in the film, told Tudum.
“The girls had the support operating with Girls for a Change on the outside, and we stepped in to begin doing that supportive work for [the] dads.”
Daughters chronicled the experiences of four girls—Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja’Ana—over an eight-year period, Time reported.
Rae and Patton wanted to raise awareness about the challenges families face when trying to stay in touch with incarcerated family members.
Many prison inmates are prohibited from having in-person visits with their family members and can only talk to them through video chats, per Time.
The directors also said in a statement that they aimed to humanize the Black men at the forefront of the story, who are not always treated that way in the media or in their lives.
Due to this goal, Daughters does not mention the crimes that led to the fathers’ incarceration, which enables viewers to get to know them as people rather than associating them with their convictions, the publication stated.
Those with a Netflix subscription can watch Daughters now.
The documentary was released on the streaming platform on August 14.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
