The deeply touching and intimate documentary, OUR FATHERS brings to life the complex and profound relationships between children and their fathers. Through six riveting narratives, told in a minimalist style against a stark black background, the film delves into the emotional labyrinth of fatherhood. Ali, Dela, Jonas, Nadine, Sabrina, and Thanh sit directly opposite the camera, each sharing personal and sometimes startling revelations about their fathers. Their stories range from tender recollections of afternoons spent on their fathers' bellies to harrowing accounts of paternal discipline with a stick. Love, loss, and the nuances of father-child dynamics are explored with raw honesty. These narratives construct a mosaic of emotions - comfort, disappointment, fear, anger, disgust, wonder, and reconciliation with one's own past. The film eschews theoretical discourse, focusing instead on the radical subjectivity of being a child of a father. It highlights the diverse roles fathers play: the protector, the disciplinarian, the absent figure, the loving confidant, the solitary man, and the emotionally troubled parent. Each story is unique, yet universally resonant. They explore themes like the use of fear as a parenting tool, the complexity of loving a father without physical affection, the struggle of feeling connected to a father despised by others, and the silent understanding of love unspoken. The film also delves into the profound impact of a father's absence during significant life events like marriage or the birth of a grandchild.
About the missing and the found. About the silent and the roaring. About cuddling and sneezing. Six stories about fathers.
The deeply touching and intimate documentary, OUR FATHERS brings to life the complex and profound relationships between children and their fathers. Through six riveting narratives, told in a minimalist style against a stark black background, the film delves into the emotional labyrinth of fatherhood.
Ali, Dela, Jonas, Nadine, Sabrina, and Thanh sit directly opposite the camera, each sharing personal and sometimes startling revelations about their fathers. Their stories range from tender recollections of afternoons spent on their fathers' bellies to harrowing accounts of paternal discipline with a stick. Love, loss, and the nuances of father-child dynamics are explored with raw honesty.
These narratives construct a mosaic of emotions - comfort, disappointment, fear, anger, disgust, wonder, and reconciliation with one's own past. The film eschews theoretical discourse, focusing instead on the radical subjectivity of being a child of a father. It highlights the diverse roles fathers play: the protector, the disciplinarian, the absent figure, the loving confidant, the solitary man, and the emotionally troubled parent.
Each story is unique, yet universally resonant. They explore themes like the use of fear as a parenting tool, the complexity of loving a father without physical affection, the struggle of feeling connected to a father despised by others, and the silent understanding of love unspoken. The film also delves into the profound impact of a father's absence during significant life events like marriage or the birth of a grandchild.