Documentary focuses on Active Fathers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - "Step up," that's the message one area filmmaker is sending to Buffalo's failing fathers.

Dwaine Terry is a successful business man.

He owns a media company in Buffalo and he's a radio personality.

His big project right now is filming a documentary on active fathers, in a city in desperate need of them.

Active Fathers producer Dwaine Terry said, "I want young men who might be in high school who may become fathers today, tomorrow, whenever to be able to look at this documentary and see faces they recognize or maybe they can identify with."

Dwaine has a six-year-old daughter.

He's learned to get along with her mother and her mother's husband, so his daughter doesn't suffer.

But he doesn't want the focus of our story to be on him.

He wants it to be on the other fathers who are actively raising their children.

Fathers like Mario Badger, who face their challenges instead of running away from them.

Badger said, "If I'm not there for my son, if I don't give him everything, then it's gonna cost the community everything."

Many communities have already seen what happens when children grow up without a solid family structure.

Jason Maclin follows one motto in raising his children.

Maclin said, "Love starts within, within your heart so if you love yourself then you have the ability to love your neighbor."

In this group, Aaron Jackson is the only one who grew up without a father.

He credits his mother for teaching him good values.

Jackson said, "I watched what she did and she just embraced all of her children fully and she did whatever she needed to do to take care of all six of us."

Juan Luis Acosta said, "It starts with us. We can't continue to sit back and watch it happen, and as a father I realize that I have to take the initial steps to protect my child by going out there and showing there's other ways."

"If a father wants to be there it's the responsibility for both parents to try to get together and make the best situation for the child," said Emmanuel Kulu.

Terry said, "One guy said to me one time, 'Why should we celebrate guys doing what they're supposed to be doing?' and I'm thinking well, why shouldn't you celebrate your success stories?"

All these fathers hope the documentary will lead to future success stories in which one can say "like father, like son."