Daughters is a Netflix-produced documentary released in the summer of 2024. Daughters focuses on a small group of men in the DC Jail, each with different sentences, different past time served, and different relationships waiting for them outside of jail. The film subtly conveys the intense emotional turmoil each of their daughters is experiencing, without villainizing the fathers. It successfully captures the complexities of a father-daughter relationship while communicating the need for change in the families’ communities. This film is so powerful because of the wide audience that its message has the potential to resonate with. Angela Patton, Founder of Camp Diva Leadership Academy and CEO of Girls For a Change, co-created the film with Natalie Rae, a young director who debuted in the film industry with Daughters.
The creative intention behind the film Daughters is to portray the pain and confusion provoked by an absent father figure. It explores the pain of both the fathers and the daughters, and the need to reconcile the past in each of their lives. It shows the myriad emotions simultaneously churning within each girl: anger, confusion, love, guilt, and their complicated intersections. Daughters emphasizes the importance of a functioning family life as a conduit for children to thrive. Aside from the father-daughter relationships, the film also conveys the strength and resilience cultivated in these communities as a result of the generational trauma they have endured. When a large chunk of a community’s population is affected by the same things, adversity encourages a sense of togetherness. Although the implications of the high incarceration rates are extremely psychologically harmful, the silver lining is the strong bonds cultivated in communities because of their shared hardships.
Daughters is a provocative portrayal of father-daughter relationships. It’s thought-provoking and intense, while also being substantial and informative. I would recommend it to anyone looking to understand more about the American criminal justice system, or just in general, to anyone looking for a good movie to watch.
