Jamal thanks in your positively Richmond a local film is raking in the awards and now it's hopeful yet heartbreaking story will soon be heading to a TV screen near you and 8 news anchor di Alberton sat down with the local youth Advocate behind this documentary she joins us now live with more details on the expected impact right here in Central Virginia Deanna that's right Heather at the center of those conversations were scenes that looked just like the ones you're about to see here what you mig
ht see in cities across Central Virginia girls all dressed up dancing with their fathers but these fathers are behind bars it's their relationship with their daughters that's moving audiences and even critics to tears okay just be very careful I'm going to leave you to it all right there's no indication it's anything but an ordinary Wednesday at girls for a change on Buford Road that's how Angela Patton the founder of the youth development organization wants it to be the core of the mission the
same even as she's being talked about all over the world for her fatherdaughter dances father daughter dances are so important in helping uplift our girls and raise young girls in these dances though the daughters are getting a chance to hug and dance with a father they usually don't even get to touch the girls fathers are in jail first time ever wearing a suit honestly planning began with the first fatherdaughter dance for girls in her Camp Diva program all right many of the girls shocked to le
arn some of their friends dads wouldn't attend one until they'd served their sentences were determined to find a solution which made so many people who experienced these dances in the jail um forget where they were you know for a [Music] moment the Dan is served as a celebration of completing a father respon Responsibility program and after the first few years in the Richmond and Petersburg jails the dances served to bring Patton's effort more attention ABC World News Tonight magazine covers and
this emotional Ted Talk I have had my father and my life always he's even here today her father's ey filled with as much pride as they were tears her talk moving several filmmakers too oh that's I actually chose to work with Natalie Ray um as a co-director on the film because she was the only woman and she was also the only one who understood that the girls needed to be at the center of this it was going to be a love story a love story between the connection and the bonding between a father and
a daughter I and the film daughters woed audiences and critics alike claiming two top awards at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival daughters and now she has a deal with Netflix to bring daughters into your living room you know the work is a lot and it um is heavy you know I've been to you know like I said 15 dances in the jail and I've seen the film multiple times cuz that Sundance your film a screen about six to eight times and I cry every everyone and um and it you know always makes me em
otional because I um want to do more than the dance and more than a film um hopefully not only are we able to make some changes right here in my hometown Richmond Virginia but this just spreads you know this is when you want something to spread with your come all Frey with come on come I wanted to be contagious absolutely already attention from this film has helped patent funds and education fund for the girls featured in the documentary she's also seeing more movement on her local impact campai
gn to provide support for her girls with similar experiences and even the girls who don't exactly have the same experience but have been instrumental and helping spread the awareness around this documentary I got to tell you as a dad it was emotional for me watching this piece because the connection between a father and daughter it's a strong connection yeah and it's been actually so strong Eric that she tells me 95% of the fathers who participated in this program have not gone back to jail that
's how impactful this is and this has been a a point to not go back to jail correct yeah wow really good report uh emotional and hopefully life-changing for everyone involved yeah thank you good job
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