Awarding-winning Chicago rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith made a big splash over the weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival with the premiere of his documentary, In My Father’s House.
The stirring film takes a close look at the Grammy-winning rapper’s efforts to re-establish a relationship with his estranged father, Brian Tillman. Over the course of a year, Rhymefest purchases his childhood home and sets out to reunite with Tillman, who he hasn’t seen in over 25 years. After finding out his father is homeless and battling alcoholism, ‘Fest attempts to help him get clean and begin healing their fractured relationship.
“I just wish you was there more when I was growing up,” Rhymefest tells his father at one point in the film.
“I wish I was there more, too,” Tillman tells his son.
Later in the film it’s revealed that Tillman himself didn’t have a healthy relationship with his own father, suffered from abuse, and hoped to avoid having a similar relationship with his son.
One of the film’s more dramatic moments comes when Smith discovers that his father has relapsed after promising him that he wouldn’t drink anymore. A downtrodden Tillman asks son,“I’ve been doing this for so long, how can you change me now?”
(Photo courtesy of InMyFathersHouseFilm.com)
For more information on the film, please visit www.inmyfathershousefilm.com
Future screening dates for In My Father’s House:
4/21 Nashville Film Festival – Nashville, Tennessee
5/02 Montclair Film Festival, Clairidge Cinema, Montclair, New Jersey
5/04 Montclair Film Festival, Clairidge Cinema, Montclair, New Jersey
5/22 Documentary Edge Festival, The Loft at Q Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
5/25 Documentary Edge Festival, Rangatira at Q Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
5/30 Documentary Edge Festival, The Loft at Q Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand
6/05 Documentary Edge Festival, Cinema 2 at Roxy , Wellington, New Zealand
6/08 Documentary Edge Festival, Cinema 1 at Roxy , Wellington, New Zealand
6/11 Documentary Edge Festival, Cinema 2 at Roxy , Wellington, New Zealand
