It’s no secret that in order to find fame and success, personal sacrifices must be made. For many celebrities, these sacrifices come by way of family, yet the long sought-after rewards may not be what we expect. Director Drew Ann Rosenberg and writer John K. Anderson take us on a musical journey of fame and sacrifice in their short film, Daddy’s Eyes.
For singing sensation LaDona (India Carney) the only mystery in her life is her biological mother. LaDona was abandoned by her twenty years ago. But, thanks to some resourceful assistants, the mystery is now solved.
Cut to lounge singer Lola Sinclair (Susannah B), LaDona’s biological mother. Every night she steps on stage and sings for her fans. Between sets, she sits with the ghost of her late husband, Dixon (Cassius M. Willis), lamenting the past and numbing the pain with a quick fix of heroin.
“…she sits with the ghost of her late husband…lamenting the past and numbing the pain with a quick fix of heroin.”
Daddy’s Eyes is a haunting narrative of family and the tough/questionable decisions we make along the way. In LaDona and Lola, we see two very distinct paths as the result of decades of separation. One path is marked by a struggle between race, wealth, and fame. The other is one of loss, guilt, and regret.
This tale is not only haunting but beautiful as well. The majority of Daddy’s Eyes is primarily shot in the lounge where Lola performs every night. I don’t know if this is a set or an actual location, but Drew Ann Rosenberg captures the setting perfectly.
The dialogue is minimal as the story is told through songs sung and composed by Susannah B. She opens with Moon & Sand, wondering, “when shall we meet again?” and ends with a duet of a mother and daughter singing a song of forgiveness in I Am Here. Susannah B is an accomplished songwriter, and her music sets the right mood to tell the narrative of this story without it ever feeling like a staged musical.
Daddy’s Eyes is a beautiful and haunting story of a family separated by circumstance. Susannah B and India Carney bring this story and song to life in an enchanting way.
Daddy’s Eyes screens at the Los Angeles Short International Film Festival.
"…a beautiful and haunting story of a family separated by circumstance."
