FILMS 2016 | fiffestival2019

2016 FILMS (10)

DADDY DON’T GO
Emily Abt / USA / 2015 /90 min / Documentary

“Daddy Don’t Go” explores the crisis of fatherlessness in America by capturing two years in the lives of four disadvantaged fathers in New York City as they fight to defy the odds against them. And the odds are real - men living in poverty are more than twice as likely to become absent fathers than their middle-class peers (U.S. Census Bureau). “Daddy Don’t Go” illuminates the hardships that impoverished fathers face and provides compelling portraits of men who are unwavering in their commitment to parenthood despite those challenges.

"1982" - A Tommy Oliver Film

A father struggles to protect his daughter from the reality of her mother's drug addiction in Tommy Oliver's powerful, semi-autobiographical debut.

From the earliest days of the crack cocaine epidemic that plagued urban America comes this powerful dispatch, the first feature from writer-director Tommy Oliver. Realized with evocative detail that blurs the distinction between drama and lived experience, 1982 draws on Oliver's upbringing in Philadelphia's West Oak Lane neighborhood to create a wrenching tale of paternal love and perseverance.

In a measured but blistering performance, Hill Harper plays Tim, a devoted husband to Shenae (Sharon Leal), and proud father of the precocious, ten-year- old Maya (Troi Zee). When Maya observes a widening rift in her parents' relationship, she wonders aloud whether her mother is having an affair. But Shenae has succumbed to a temptation far more pernicious. She soon packs a bag and walks out on her family altogether, only to return periodically in fits of frenzied desperation, scrounging for means to fund her next fix. A devastated Tim, meanwhile, endeavours to shield Maya from the reality of her mother's addiction, and eventually sets out to confront the dangerous local pusher (Wayne Brady) who's been only too happy to prey on his wife's weakness.

Dir. Charles Jones, 82 min, USA, 2014, Documentary

A candid portrait of the fathers and male caregivers of children with Autism. Dispelling thearchaic idea that "big boys don't cry,” a group of fathers open up to each other about the fear, disappointment and, ultimately, the acceptance of a parenting experience very different than the ones they had envisioned.

Director: Andrea Capranico
Producer: Andrea Capranico, Darlene Catly Malimas
Screenwriter: Andrea Capranico

Synopsis:
After the death of his father, Eric Nui Cabales grapples with the meaning of home and endeavours to find a new direction in life. A body-painter, costume designer, photographer and conceptual artist, Cabales’ visual work is rooted in a landscape of memories at Kayama, a patch of land owned by his forefathers.

A poet friend first brings him on a healing trip, but no herbalist nor priestess proved effective in their restoration powers. Only with time, through the comfort of his loved ones, and a process of (re)discovering his art through nature, does Cabeles gradually come to discover a new form of healing through the art of body painting.

A deeply personal piece driven by a texture of captivating colours and breathing imagery, layered with a delicately haunting soundtrack, The Landscape Within is a simple yet provocative take on love and impermanence.

Real Dads Network is committed to increasing the number of fathers actively involved in the parenting of their children. We accomplish this through recognizing and celebrating fathers who are fully involved (Real Dads), supporting those who would like to be more involved, and advocating for public policies that use shared parenting as the standard for custody decisions.