The Dads

[DanaK]

Netflix documentary short that premieres November 17

Quote

In this gentle meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood, five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard – the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard – for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma. As the men cast their lines into the river, they find common ground across racial, geographical and generational lines: their unconditional love for their children.

 

[JustHereForFood]

Very good and touching special. My only complain would be that it was way too short, there was definitely potential for a lot longer piece. I would really recommend it to everyone who doesn't know any trans people, it hits differently when you see real people behind the struggle.

[Bastet]

Shorts are difficult to pull off well, especially ones this short, but this was almost pointless.  I liked the diversity of the men, to further highlight the common experiencing of loving and fearing for a transgender child, but it just didn't go anywhere.  We didn't get to know them (or their kids through them); we heard very little detail about what they and their kids experience, just that a lot of families with transgender kids fall apart because the dads screw it up, and men need to do better, and the men doing better need to talk openly about their unconditional love and support of their kids.  That's a great message, but that's a thesis, with details to follow.  But this was over just ten minutes after it began, so nothing much followed.  It needed to be twice as long to give a proper glimpse into this life.