In the deeply moving documentary “Daughters,” directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, a group of incarcerated fathers at a Washington, D.C., correctional facility are given a rare opportunity—a few precious hours to spend with their daughters. This emotional gathering, centered around the Daddy Daughter Dance program, brings fathers and daughters together for a brief but impactful afternoon of dancing, hugging, and laughter.
The documentary begins with a warning to the fathers that they are about to embark on an “emotional rollercoaster,” a prediction that proves to be painfully accurate. For some of these young girls, this will be their first time ever touching their father, while others haven’t seen their dads in years, reflecting a troubling trend in U.S. prisons where in-person visits have increasingly been replaced by video calls, with even the rare “in-person” visits often being conducted through plexiglass and a phone.
As “Daughters” unfolds, the question lingers: Should the interaction between incarcerated fathers and their children be so infrequent? This heart-wrenching documentary captures the fathers’ simple yet powerful plea: “We’re still fathers,” one of the men asserts, highlighting the fundamental humanity often overlooked in the prison system.
The film, which was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, also delves into the emotional preparations of the young girls for the big day. Aubrey, a spirited 5-year-old, exclaims, “When he says he loves me, I’m gonna say I love him more.” Her father, Keith, faces another seven years behind bars—a period of time that the bright but innocent Aubrey, still learning to count, cannot fully grasp.
Santana, 10, approaches the event with more complex feelings, determined not to cry. “The only reason he ain’t here is he wants to keep doing bad stuff,” she remarks, reflecting the anger and confusion that often accompany such relationships. Ja’Ana, 11, whose mother previously prevented her from seeing her father, admits, “I don’t remember nothin’ about my father, nothin’ at all.”
The day of the dance is captured with a dreamlike quality, as the fathers, dressed in suits and adorned with flowers, await their daughters’ arrival. The filmmakers emphasize the emotional weight of the moment with soft lighting and minimal sound, save for a few cries of “Daddy!” and some muffled sobs.
Inside the gym, the fathers and daughters engage in playful activities and dance together. While some find joy in reconnecting, for others, the emotional distance created by years of separation is too vast to bridge in just one afternoon. As the event concludes, and the girls must return home while their fathers head back to their cells, the farewell is inevitably heart-wrenching. The fathers sign pledges to remain in their daughters’ lives, a commitment that has shown promising results—95% of the fathers who participate in the program do not return to jail.
This summer has brought us two profoundly tender films about the lives of incarcerated individuals and their quest for redemption, with “Daughters” standing alongside the true-story-inspired drama “Sing Sing.” Through “Daughters,” viewers are invited to reflect on the cyclical nature of parental absence, often spanning generations, and the enduring hope for change.
The passage of time is a central theme in prison life, and “Daughters,” filmed over several years, powerfully captures this relentless march. The documentary’s emotional rollercoaster peaks with its poignant years-later epilogue: Aubrey, now 8, has not seen her father since the dance. When she is finally allowed to visit him, she fails to recognize him through the plexiglass. On the ride home, Aubrey no longer embodies the optimism she once radiated. This is a real-time tragedy, laid bare for all to witness.
“Daughters,” a Netflix release, is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language. The film runs for 107 minutes and earns a solid three out of four stars.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
