NY Doc Festival Review

           

            Several weeks ago I attended the NY Documentary Film Festival. There were so many documentaries showing in many theaters throughout the city but when I saw the announcement for the ‘Tough Love’ screening, I knew this would be a good documentary to go see. The synopsis was short and outlined the main focus of the film, which followed a couple in New York City and a man in Seattle, both trying to gain custody of their children who had been taken away from them for various reasons and placed in foster care.

            I knew this would be a difficult film to watch but I also thought the topic would be thought provoking. My mom is a guidance counselor in New York City and discusses her experiences with ACS (Administration for Children’s Services) and her students to me all the time. I wanted to learn more about ACS and the foster care system from a different point of view. I thought it was important to get educated and what better way than to watch a documentary where I was able to learn the painful truth.

            One of the main stars of the film was a man who had a little girl with his wife whom he was actively using drugs with. After his wife left, he was forced to take care of his daughter on his own which he was unable to do when he was deep in his addiction – he called ACS on himself and his daughter was taken away and put into foster care for three years. The film followed Patrick for an entire year as he struggled in the court system to meet the judges high expectations (which continuously changed), get sober, and create a healthy life for him and his daughter. Thankfully he eventually got her back at the end of the year and the child welfare court threw Patrick a graduation ceremony and party to celebrate gaining custody of his child.

            I think what was so painful about Patrick’s story was the fact that he was struggling with an alcohol and gambling addiction that went through highs and lows throughout the film – in addition, it was difficult to watch his personal life completely exposed in court in front of his therapists and child welfare counselors. The audience, however, could see how badly Patrick wanted his daughter back and how hard he was trying. Patrick’s story had a very happy ending.

            Hannah’s story was a little different. Hannah had had two children with her boyfriend whom she eventually left because of his anger issues. Hannah said that her ex boyfriend had called ACS on her for neglect (as she had her two children was she was very young and would go out at night and leave her kids alone). The filmmakers filmed Hannah several years after the kids had been taken into custody, with a baby on the way with her new husband. The two were living at her boyfriends mothers house while her boyfriend tried to make ends meet selling cheese and pastries out of a cart in little Italy. Hannah and her new husband were still both extremely young with a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Hannah had been back and forth in court with her ex boyfriend and ACS trying to get custody of her children, a girl and a boy. Her court appointed lawyer was not up to date on Hannah’s case and barely answered her phone calls. Hannah sought out a volunteer organization that helps parents with children in foster care get them back.  It seemed that after Hannah did something the court had asked her to do, it was then not enough and she had to do something else. The expectations and requirements continued to change. What was even more so heart breaking was that when she eventually gave birth to her new daughter, ACS was suspicious of neglect on Hannah’s part of her new born child because of her previous experience with her two children. Both Hannah and her new husband struggled to find affordable housing that would provide enough room for the couple, their new baby, and Hannah’s two children, as it was required by the court. It was hard to watch Hannah’s husband struggle to make ends meet for the sake of Hannah and her children. Hannah eventually gained joint custody of her children and they were taken out of foster care.

The ending of both stories left me feeling very hopeful and if not more content in how both Patrick and Hannah’s situation turned out – I did find it interesting that even a documentary had a happy ending, sticking to that Hollywood-esque narrative.  I also left the film with a fresh perspective on ACS, particularly in New York City where it seems that it isn’t just one side that is wrong or has made a mistake. I am glad I saw this film.