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AFI DOCS: Bryce Dallas Howard on DADS

“Documentary films are a practice in empathy…They can expand our sense of shared humanity, call us to action and make wild discoveries and revelations.”  -Bryce Dallas Howard, director of DADS

 

Prolific actress and filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard makes her feature documentary directing debut with DADS. The film interviews famous dads and everyday dads, showing the ups and downs, the great moments and the gross, and everything in-between.

The concept for the film came to Howard after the passing of her grandfather. “His gifts were varied, but above all, he was a genius of a parent and created a legacy of integrity and kindness that impacted our family for generations,” said Howard. “He took it upon himself to be a better father for his own kids than his father was for him, and this commitment and journey, though not exclusive to my grandad, was something I hadn’t seen in the media or even talked about regularly in our society…Why wasn’t everyday fathering normalized?“

And with that simple questions, DADS was born.

Howard hopes audience members will walk away wanting to hug, call or send up a thought for the father or father-figure in their life.

DADS screened at AFI DOCS 2020.