Why I made this film
by Natalie Picoe

Strike Dice! Betting on my Father is a film about a woman in search of her father both in the literal and figurative sense. What do we do as women when our fathers are lost to us? How does it influence us in our future relationships and in our ability to succeed in life? How do we reconcile the love we feel for our fathers when they are less than perfect or even much worse?

Strike Dice! Betting on my Father is an attempt on the part of a daughter, through the lens of documentary film, to uncover the personal dimensions of the problems and complexities of gambling addiction and its effect on loved ones.

As a filmmaker, I believe in the healing power of storytelling - not just the healing of the people watching the story, but the healing of the people telling it. By turning the camera on Dad, and not giving up where others had, a sense of self-worth was awakened in my father. The camera was a bridge for us to communicate. It gave Dad a sense of accountability to himself and it gave me a sense of objectivity that I needed in order to reach him.

There seems to be a trend in documentary film (and in non-fiction books) to tell stories that may once have been considered shameful. I saw an interview recently with the actor Evan Handler about his new book "It's Only Temporary" where he stated his belief that 'telling our stories not only heals us personally but also elevates us as a society.' I hope my film will help others find comfort in their own complicated relationships with their fathers.

New York City

v06a