For My Father
8 min / documentary / 2004 / Canada
director: John Ibbitson
“For My Father” is a first-person / autobiographical documentary in which filmmaker John Ibbitson reflects on his relationship with his father, Alan Ibbitson, who had an intellectual disability. The film serves as a personal apology for the years of misunderstanding and miscommunication that shaped their relationship.
Filmmaker statement: “My dad is the inspiration for my film, which came from our lives together. As a child, it was hard for me being raised by a parent who had an intellectual disability. I was too young to understand my father’s condition and, in turn, felt he neglected me. It was not until my adolescence that I was able to fully grasp and empathize with my father’s situation.”
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