Rel Dowdell
The
“Where's Daddy?” Interview
with
Kam Williams
Renaissance
Brother!
Rel's first feature film, Train Ride, garnered widespread critical acclaim. Produced with independent financing, the movie was acquired by Sony Pictures in 2005 and enjoyed tremendous financial success. In addition, the film featured the final performance of the late Esther "Florida" Rolle.
Rel's second feature, Changing the Game, is a drama that was shot in Philadelphia over the course of a summer. The film stars Sean Riggs, Irma P. Hall, Dennis L.A. White and Mari White, with special appearances by Sticky Fingaz and Tony Todd. The picture was cited by FilmFresh.com as one of the top three African-American films of 2012.
Here, Rel discusses his third full-length feature, a documentary examining the Child Support System entitled Where's Daddy?
Kam
Williams: Hi
Rel, thanks for the interview.
Rel
Dowdell:
Always
an honor, Kam. This was an interview
I
was really looking forward to doing.
KW:
I loved Where's Daddy? What interested you in the subject of child
support?
RD:
I
was simply tired of seeing how negatively African-American fathers
were depicted in the media. Shows like "The Maury Povich Show"
truly cast a disparaging light on African-American fathers who always
look completely dysfunctional in relationships with African-American
women. And, in addition, they look like they are always embracing the
aspect of not being a responsible father, like it's the last thing on
their minds. They look scared to death to be a father and running
from fatherhood. Moreover, they have hatred for the child because the
child was with a woman they no longer have an affinity for. Those are
very damaging and malignant images in society today. One should never
embellish stereotypes that are crippling. Therefore, I wanted this
film to show that there are a myriad of African-American fathers out
there who really want to be active and loving fathers to their
children, but have been faced with some arduous circumstances, some
seen, and some unforeseen, that have hindered them from doing so. I
wanted to give African-American fathers a voice that they previously
did not have, to share their most personal stories about the pitfalls
they have faced with the child support system
and their failed relationships.
KW:
This
was your first documentary. Did you have any trepidations about
tackling a new genre?
RD:
A
little. I realize now that it's vital for filmmakers to embark on
doing
a feature-length documentary. It really makes one go into places and
chasms of creativity that one previously would never have the chance
to with doing strictly feature films. There's a certain nobility in
working with subjects who are giving you their innermost feelings
with no script. It's cathartic, not just for the subjects, but also
the filmmaker. I thought your comment in your review comparing me to
Michael Moore was insightful, for the African-American community has
never really had that type of filmmaker tackle some of the most
important and affecting
issues
in our community. It's long overdue.
KW:
How do
you go about presenting a balanced view of the child support issue
when you might be tempted to slant the film towards one side or the
other?
RD:
You
have to go into dealing with each subject in a non-accusatory
fashion.
Don't make each subject feel like it's an interrogation.
One of
my subjects was a father who had eight children with seven different
women. One may feel that father should be demonized. However, it was
important to let that particular father tell why he made the
decisions he made over and over, and see if he learned anything from
them. His answers, I think, will surprise the audience. I also asked
an African-American mother why she filed for child support. Her
answer, I think, will also surprise, as well as enlighten.
KW:
Who is
your intended audience?
RD:
Everyone.
We all came from parents. Some of us have great and
loving relationships with our parents, and some, unfortunately, do
not. Some people never knew who their father was, and that's tragic.
Our parents, or lack thereof, have a profound effect on our lives and
the person we end up becoming. The child support system has a lot of
problems with it that people do not want to discuss. It's taboo to
millions of people. That's what makes this film so important. It's
not dealing with an "also ran" topic. It's not dealing with
a topic that's only relevant for a short period of time. It's dealing
with one that's lasting and paramount to all communities, for it
affects all communities. However, it affects African-American
fathers, and subsequently, their families, often in vastly more
negative fashions. One father says he was about to take his children
fishing one morning, and the sheriffs came and shackled him in
handcuffs and foot shackles like a slave. Imagine how that
indelible image will affect his children long-term.
KW:
What
message do you want people to take away from Where's Daddy?
RD:
That
the child support system does not truly assist who it's supposed
to, which are the children. It often creates irreparable resentment
and hatred between fathers and mothers. Men have died from it. Men
have become emasculated
from
it. Men feel like they have no
self-worth from it. Children become broken mentally and emotionally
from it. Often, mothers even hate their sons from it because of the
estranged relationship with the father. This begins another cycle of
dysfunction and emasculation. It is important to remember that first
things learned are hardest to forget. Traditions pass from one
generation to the next. The system needs to be changed. I hope people
embrace the message. There's something
in it for everyone.
KW:
Was
there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?
RD:
Most
definitely. I hope that comes across in the film. One major
spiritual component that I've always embraced is to welcome the
opportunity to be a messenger or an emissary. It is a blessing.
KW:
Who
loved you unconditionally during your formative years?
RD:
Thank
God, I had a great family support system. I had both
parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins who all had
significant impacts on my life that I will always be thankful
for.
KW:
What
was your very first job?
RD:
Working
maintenance at a bank. Putting in light fixtures and sweeping
the streets out front.
KW:
The
Toure question: Who is the person who most inspired you to become the
person you are today?
RD:
I would probably say my mother, for she took me to a lot of
movies when I was a child. I was greatly influenced by those
experiences. There's nothing like having the cinematic experience on
a consistent basis when you're growing up. I became fascinated and
captivated by it.
KW:
Rudy Lewis asks: Who’s at the top of your hero list?
RD:
Anyone
who's not afraid to stand up for themselves and rise against adverse
circumstances.
KW:
Let's
say you’re throwing your dream dinner party—who’s invited…
and what would you serve?
RD:
I Some
luminaries like Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Dr. King, Fannie Lou Hamer,
the Dalai Lama, Sidney Poitier, Hattie McDaniel... And tell Sanaa
Lathan she's invited, too! I would serve a culmination of everything.
Exquisite foods
from all cultures. That would be awesome.
KW:
The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would
you spend the time?
RD:
With
family.
KW:
What
has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
RD:
Realizing
that, sadly, many have an inherent fear and dislike of
African-American men for no reason. This can even pertain within the
African-American race in how we deal with one another. As an
African-American man with principles and pride, I realized that
at an early age, and I am always on alert for it.
KW:
The
Dulé
Hill question. Do you think that the success you’ve achieved in
your career is because of you, because of a higher power, or because
of a mixture of both?
RD:
Definitely
both. The higher power makes you who who are, but it's up to
you to embrace it.
KW:
The
Flex Alexander question: How
do you get through the tough times?
RD:
Prayer.
KW:
The
Dana Perino question: What keeps you up at night?
RD:
Racism
and discrimination against African-American men. It's an
epidemic that needs to be addressed and rectified with the closest of
attention by those who understand it and can really make
a difference.
KW:
The
Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?
RD:
During
those moments of solitude and reflection when I know I've completed a
task successfully.
KW:
Finally,
Samuel L. Jackson asks: What’s in your wallet?
RD
Not
money! I lose money too much when it's in there. I've
learned to just keep cards in my wallet. They can be replaced,
but money can not.
KW:
Thanks
again for the time, Rel, and best of luck with the film.
RD:
Thanks
a million, Kam! It's always a privilege to converse with one of the
world's preeminent and most socially-aware critics.
