Growing up without a father can have a negative impact on children. Three young adult men talk openly about the impact their father’s absence had on them, and about the way they took their life into their hands. Inspiring and hopeful.
In the Netherlands, one out of six children grow up in a single-parent family. Research has shown that growing up without a father, or without emotional contact with a father, can have a negative impact on the development of children. It has consequences for the formation of one’s identity, self-confidence and school performance.
Zonen zonder vaders (Sons without Fathers) is an inspiring and hopeful film about men who grew up without a father but overcame their personal crisis that resulted from it. Three young adult men talk candidly about the impact their father’s absence had on them. About poor school performance, growing up in an unsafe environment, behavioural problems, depression, or the first steps into criminality. But they also talk about the turning point: one day they decided to look themselves in the eye and change course. Their stories provide tools for young people in a similar environment to discuss problems or seek help.