Chonda Pierce, Other Women Discover How to Heal Painful Father Wounds in New Christian Film

A new faith-based film is shedding light on the emotional pain that can result from broken father-daughter relationships.

 "He Calls Me Daughter" features firsthand stories of healing through the love of our Heavenly Father.  

A unique aspect of this film is the in-depth exploration and impact of relationships between fathers and daughters. At its heart is an encounter with Jesus - the perfect Heavenly Father who calls His daughters by name.

"My dad never told me that I was pretty," says one woman in the film. 

Another says, "My dad never told me that I was special or important. He didn't know me."

"I don't remember a church my dad ever pastored at that he didn't have a girlfriend," comedian Chonda Pierce says in the new Christian documentary.

The movie follows the success of 2021's "Show me the Father," which focused on the importance of fatherhood. 

Director Rick Altizer said after his involvement in that Kendrick brother's production, he felt compelled to help women who experienced absent, broken, or distant relationships with their dads.

Altizer told CBN News, "The Spirit just made it clear that I am to make this film for women, that I'm to do this, and I'm going, 'But I'm a dude. Why would you call me to do this?' And I, I've again heard the Holy Spirit just say, 'I've given you everything you need, just do it.'"

A diverse range of voices share their personal journeys, including Pierce and Lynsi Snyder, owner of In-N-Out Burger. 

"My dad, as soon as he was out of my life, there was this gaping wound," said Snyder.

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Actress BJ Arnett says in the film, "All I wanted was for my daddy, was for my daddy to say that I was his."

"My dad threw my head into the table and broke my nose," said Dee Dee Mayer.

Author and parenting expert Dr. Meg Meeker said, "Many women who have the father hole in them don't necessarily know it. They know that something deep hurts but they don't know what it is. The truth is, every daughter needs affirmation from her dad."

Many women, even those who are in the church, can relate to growing up without a dad.

"I made this film for a Christian woman who goes to church, she's on the worship team, she goes to the women's conferences, she gets the books, the curriculum books, she goes to the Bible study, she does all these things, and the pain's still there," Altizer said.
 
The movie tells how some women feel like they can connect to Jesus as a man, but not to God as a father. To help with that, viewers can obtain access to a six-week study guide to continue the healing process.

"Now we've named it. Now let's talk about it. Let's get some help. Let's go to counseling, let's discuss this and start seeing how I need to now start seeing God as my perfect Heavenly Father who loves me perfectly, not like my earthly father," Altizer said.

Chonda Pierce said, "A heavenly father changes everything (wiping tears) I needed to remember that today."

"He Calls Me Daughter" will be in theaters March 17 and 18th. To find out where you can see it, go to the website hecallsmedaughter.org.

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