Daughters

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Daughters

PG-13

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1h 42m

Documentary

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64 Reviews

89%

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50+ Ratings

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. A generation of youth bare the weight of mass incarceration on their childhoods. These wounds impair development and can last a lifetime. In-person visitation for these families has been systematically shut down across the US since 2014, replaced with video conference apps the families have to pay for. This unique program involves dance, touch and celebration that transcends the prison walls. On the inside, we watch the fathers go through a 12-week Fatherhood Training Program that prepares them for the intensity of the dance and the emotional fallout.

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Critics Consensus

In defiance of an inhumane prison system emerges a tender and touching light for incarcerated fathers to finally hold and dance with their Daughters.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A poignant and beautiful film.

Aug 28, 2024

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Peter Rainer

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

I defy anybody not to get teary-eyed.

Aug 28, 2024

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Racial inequities of American culture and the cruelties of the carceral state are never directly addressed in Daughters. They don’t need to be. It’s all right there in the faces of a father and his child seeing each other for the first time.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 23, 2024

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Rubén Rosario

MiamiArtZine

In Daughters, a wrenching and tender portrait of hope and disillusionment, they convey their call for prison reform by simply letting the youngest people impacted by a penal code that separates them from their fathers tell us who they are.

Sep 16, 2024

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Daniel Allen

In Review Online

These aesthetic flourishes add a pronounced emotional texture to Daughters... The film never feels insistent or instructive, introducing the main stories to us gradually and letting the human experiences at their center speak for themselves.

Sep 7, 2024

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James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

By often shooting from the girls’ point-of-view, or focusing the camera on them, Rae allows you to really feel immersed in the occasion – and its emotion.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 29, 2024

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Tee C

This documentary is so inspirational and heartwarming. The dance scene is filled with raw emotions. I love this for all the little girls who want a special connection with their dads. I recommended it to all my Facebook followers:)

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

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Michael Shane B

Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. This story could explore the emotional journey of these girls and their fathers as they anticipate the dance. How do they express their joy and love for their fathers? What are their hopes and dreams for the dance? How do they feel about being able to spend this special time with their daughters? What challenges do they face in their incarceration that might affect their emotions? How does incarceration impact these relationships? What are the unique challenges and rewards of being a father in prison? How does the program help to strengthen these father-daughter relationships? What other benefits does the program provide to the incarcerated fathers and their families?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/29/24

Full Review

dk p

A tearjerker through and through. I felt protective of the daughters but I think there was healing for all despite the pain. None the less, I wept and wept. Life is painful sometimes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/06/24

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Flavia Gomes R

We all deserve a second chance and to make the best use of it. Great film!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/24

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Mireya G

I’m so glad I came across this. Its so worth watching. These baby girls need their daddy's, and their daddy’s need them as well. I wish them all the best and praying for their safe return home🙏🏼💜

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/24

Full Review

Alejandro E

En forma vivida, e interesante, se narra que efecto tiene el distanciamiento entre hijos y padres en condición de cárcel, y el efecto positivo que tienen, en ambos, convivios de esta índole. A modo de documental, merece una oportunidad, Bastante.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/31/24

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Angela Patton

Director

Natalie Rae

Director

Natalie Rae

Producer

Lisa Mazzotta

Producer

Justin Benoliel

Producer

Mindy Goldberg

Producer

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Synopsis

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. A generation of youth bare the weight of mass incarceration on their childhoods. These wounds impair development and can last a lifetime. In-person visitation for these families has been systematically shut down across the US since 2014, replaced with video conference apps the families have to pay for. This unique program involves dance, touch and celebration that transcends the prison walls. On the inside, we watch the fathers go through a 12-week Fatherhood Training Program that prepares them for the intensity of the dance and the emotional fallout.

Director: Angela Patton, Natalie Rae
Producer: Natalie Rae, Lisa Mazzotta, Justin Benoliel, Mindy Goldberg, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi, James Cunningham
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Object & Animal, Epoch Films, Park Pictures, OPC, XTR
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Some Thematic Elements)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 9, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 14, 2024
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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