Angela Patton, CEO of Girls For a Change and founder of Camp Diva Leadership Academy, has dedicated her career to addressing the needs of young girls. Over a decade ago, Patton helped launch a program in Richmond, Virginia, inspired by a 12-year-old Black girl, creating a “Date With Dad” event for girls with incarcerated fathers. This initiative garnered widespread attention after a 2012 TEDWomen talk, which has since surpassed 1 million views.
The story attracted numerous filmmakers, but it wasn’t until Natalie Rae joined that the project found its true voice. Rae and Patton embarked on an eight-year journey to create the documentary Daughters, which follows four young girls preparing to reunite with their fathers at a Washington, D.C., jail. The film, executive produced by Kerry Washington and awarded at Sundance, begins streaming on Netflix on Wednesday.
Daughters offers an intimate look at the girls’ lives and the 12-week therapy their fathers undergo before the reunion. Rae described the project as “one of the most powerful stories” she had encountered, highlighting the profound change that can occur when we listen to young women’s wisdom.
The filmmakers focused on presenting the story from the girls’ perspectives. Patton emphasized her role as an advocate for the girls, capturing their complex feelings towards their fathers while aiming to help them through their experiences.
Building trust with the families was crucial for Patton, who has long worked with Black communities in Washington and Richmond. Rae, though new to this work, gained the subjects’ trust by investing deeply in their lives, including personal moments like hospital visits and birthday celebrations.
The documentary is described as a “three tissue” movie, designed to touch viewers’ hearts and raise awareness about the importance of physical visits and family connections for incarcerated fathers and their daughters.
Patton and Rae hope Daughters will inspire viewers to appreciate their own family connections and foster change by highlighting the significance of maintaining these bonds.
