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‘Daughters’ is Powerful

Please watch this Netflix documentary.

Sarah Callen
Movies & Us

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Still from Daughters | Credit: Netflix
Still from Daughters | Credit: Netflix

Daughters introduces us to four daughters and their families as they prepare for a father-daughter dance with their fathers, who are incarcerated.

I don’t watch a lot of documentaries, but this one caught my eye because of its unique premise. And it’s as powerful as you would imagine.

The entire documentary is focused on these daughters and the rest of their families. The founder of the organization leading this program isn’t even seen until 25 minutes into the film, and she occupies very little space in the runtime. There’s a version of this story that makes her into a hero helping these families connect, but Daughters avoids that at all costs. There are shots of the people who are helping to facilitate this program, but most of the focus is where it belongs: on the daughters and their fathers.

Daughters is highly focused on the dignity of every person involved in this process, especially the men who are incarcerated. The documentary shows just how isolating and dehumanizing the experience of being in prison is. This makes the intentional touches of care throughout the process even more special.

There’s an emphasis on the lack of connection that these fathers have with their families. They are able to call, but there’s a cost and a limit…

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