'He Calls Me Daughter' Documentary Brings Healing, Hope to Women Suffering from Father Wounds
Though the gift of salvation does make a person a new person in Christ, the wounds a person has experienced from just living life aren’t necessarily resolved right away. When a person deepens their relationship with Christ and renews their mind with the consistent reading of God’s Word, healing can be experienced over time.
Director Rick Altizer (Show Me the Father, 2021) is addressing the impacts of the father wound on women. In his documentary film, He Calls Me Daughter, Altizer illustrates the importance of the role of fathers in the lives of their daughters by highlighting the stories of several women who have had absentee fathers or painful and/or abusive relationships growing up, and have overcome their father wound.
Father Wound is Rarely Talked About
One of the least talked about emotional wounds is what psychologists call a “father wound.” People who suffered from feeling unwanted, unloved, and unknown from an early age can carry that wound into adulthood and experience challenges with their self-worth and in relationships. Since this type of emotional wound isn’t talked about very much, a person can have this emotional pain and not even realize it, according to The Attachment Project.
Some of the causes of this wound can also be traced back to challenges such as:
- Neglect (feeling unimportant)
- Absence of a parent due to divorce, separation, or death
- Abuse
- A controlling and oppressive parent
- Affirmation and love that was withheld
Besides leaving a person with low self-esteem, it can also cause a person to be performance oriented and perfectionistic, according to Focus on the Family.
Fathers are Important to the Well-Being of their Daughters
“The role of a father is one that cannot be overstated,” Altizer told Christian Newswire. “Strong families are the foundation of a healthy society, and fathers play the most vital role in this family structure. He Calls Me Daughter and the stories of these women show just how enormous an impact fathers have on their daughters’ sense of worth and identity.”
Several well-known celebrities are featured in He Calls Me Daughter:
- Chonda Pierce, The Top Selling Female Comedian in History (RIAA)
- Alex Kendrick, Actor and Filmmaker (War Room, The Forge)
- Meg Meeker, Author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters
- Lynsi Snyder, President and Owner of In-N-Out Burger®
- BJ Arnett, Actress (The Forge), Producer, and Professor
- Dee Dee Mayer, Director of Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University
- Rachelle Starr, Founder and President of Scarlet Hope
- Kia Stephens, Speaker and Author of Overcoming Father Wounds
- Michael Reeves, President of Union School of Theology
- Kenny Silva, Pastor at Hickory Grove Church
The film also addresses the importance of fathers in instilling biblical values into their children, and being intentional regarding helping children to recognize that a Christ-centered life is where they will find a sense of security and belonging.
“Women are in dire need of a fatherly presence in their life to provide guidance and point them to Christ,” Rachelle Starr, founder of Scarlet Hope and supporter of the film, told Christian Newswire. “Without that, women will spend their lives searching for something else to try and fill that irreplaceable hole in their heart.”
“I began to see that this Heavenly Father loves me in a way no earthly father could ever possibly figure out,” Pierce said. “God is my father, I am loved, and He calls me daughter. A heavenly father changes everything.”
Tickets will become available on January 30, 2026, at Fathom Entertainment, with the movie being released in theaters on March 17-18, 2026. Additional information about the movie is available at Hecallsmedauthger.org
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Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Ippei Naoi
Originally published January 22, 2026.
