It might as well be narrative; with how it poetically pinpoints every nuance and gently basks in the emotional highs and lows. We don't always see this in documentaries. But rest assured, nobody's acting. Everything you see here is real.
It's been 20 years since Angela Patton founded Camp Diva, a five-week summer camp that empowers young black girls as they transition to womanhood. Part of the program is their annual "Date with Dad Dance", an event that celebrates and recognizes the power of the father-daughter bond. It wasn't until 2012 when Patton's efforts came to light. It was that year when she became CEO of Girls for a Change, a non-profit organization that advocates for that very cause. More importantly, that's when she captured the hearts of a vaster populace.
During that year's TEDXWomen Conference, she shared how opening the dance to girls with incarcerated fathers, at a time "touch visits" or face-to-face visits have become obsolete, inspired her community of Richmond, Virginia. Her speech garnered thousands of views online and moved countless, including director Natalie Rae. Long story short, the two joined forces and a Sundance-winning film was born.
By the time Daughters commences, the program had already expanded to Washington DC. At this point, we're introduced to the four heroines, in ascending order of age. There's precocious five-year-old Aubrey Smith, who witnessed her dad's arrest before she could learn the times tables; Santana Stewart, who's numbed by life's hardships at age 10 and merely 14 years her mother's junior; indifferent 11-year-old Ja'Ana Crudup, who's shielded by her mother; and 15-year-old Raziah Lewis, the one closest to the adulthood and, sadly, the one driven closest to the edge. Their musings are juxtaposed seamlessly with their jailed dads' meetings with life coach Chad. With only ten weeks left before the ball, both anticipation and anxiety are running high. The passage of time is understated, thanks to Troy Lewis and Adelina Bichis' subtle editing.
Of course, no amount of conditioning could prepare all parties for the ensuing catharsis. And the climactic reunion lovingly delivers the goods. This is largely thanks to Rae's meticulous eye and Patton's oneness with the subject matter providing the solid build-up. Adding more soul are Michael Cambio Fernandez's vivid cinematography and Kelsey Lu's poignant score.
Not everyone gets a happy ending. That's implausible in stories like this. Instead, we witness the girls' compelling transformations, ranging from the beautiful to the bittersweet. That's the true impact of this quiet juggernaut of a tale. By not sugarcoating the bigger picture, we're given a sense of life steadfastly going on, with no false hopes and no empty promises made. That's when you know it's authentic.
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