Daddy and Papa
A documentary film by Johnny Symons
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Filmmaker Johnny Symons follows four different families and tells the stories they have to tell:

• A merger of two families: a woman whose opposes the pending adoption of her two foster children by two gay men adopting, and the way she becomes a part of their family
• A woman who recently became a grandmother who saw her unrealized dream of being a grandmother come true
• A single man picking fatherhood over any of his other possible life choices because he thinks it is the most important thing he could do.

As the American landscape becomes more diverse, so do our families. Long gone are the days where most homes consisted of one mom, one dad and 2.5 children. Today's homes are more diverse, and many gay men refuse to accept that they must give up on their dreams of having a family just because they may not belong to the old nuclear family typical of a decade or two ago. Meanwhile, 130,000 children in this nation await a family to love them, and many adoption counselors are beginning to see gay men and their partners as an "untapped resource" for giving these children a good home.

Gay men seem to be the group in America who have the most difficulty at building a family. Getting certified to be a foster parent, which is often the step many gay men take in order to be fathers because some agencies do not yet allow gay men to adopt children, often involves an extensive list of classes, evaluations and interviews in order to ensure individuals are capable parents. Lesbian women seem to have much less difficulty in acquiring children because they are able to bear their own children. While they obviously need a man in order to do so, they seem to have more avenues and opportunities in the long run. A father to two small boys makes the point that "They ask you every question about every aspect of your life. All straight people have to do is have sex and they get a kid, while we have to be grilled. It's ridiculous."

The film also speaks to stereotypes we may hold not only about gay fatherhood, but also fatherhood in general, especially those related to the single fathers and stay-at-home dads out there. One of the fathers in the film said that whenever he happened to be in a public place, such as the mall or a supermarket, when one of his children got upset or something, the women around him would be immediately attracted to the situation, asking "Where is her mother?" as if the men themselves were not as competent and qualified to parenthood as their female counterparts.

Everyone should see this film, from individuals who aren't sure what they think of this whole issue of gay fathers in America, to those people who are open to the idea, but who don't know as much as they think they should about this specific issue and gay culture, in general.

At its core, this film is a moving story of dreams fulfilled. Children who longed to have someone to love them are now surrounded by such love and joy; and men who previously thought it virtually impossible to be able to raise children are seeing their dreams become a reality, while also forging the way for other such families with similar dreams.

Director and producer Johnny Symons has also made several other documentaries chronicling gay culture, including the Academy Award-nominated film Long Night's Journey Into Day, as well as, Beauty Before Age, Shaving the Castro, and Out in Africa.

Made by New Day Films
Running time of 57 minutes
Bonus Features 11 minutes

Awards
: "Official Selection" Sundance Film Festival
"Documentary Most Likely to Change the World" Detroit Docs Film Festival

www.daddyandpapa.com
www.johnnysymons.com