A new film depicting the world of divorce, custody and child support from the perspective of fathers is drawing attention to an often ignored side of the story. The documentary, titled “Guilty Until Proven Innocent” made its theatrical debut recently in Washington, D.C.

The goal of the film maker, Janks Morton, was to tackle the issues found in family courts and to bring to light the plight of fathers in this scenario. The film follows five men through the system and shows the emotional toll and disparity between how fathers and mothers are viewed in family court.

According to Janice D’Arcy of the Washington Post, one particularly saddening story in the film is a man who was denied visitation and jailed because he was hospitalized, which made it difficult to pay child support. Before the hospitalization, his child support record was flawless.

“Millions of parents and children are directly impacted by court and agency rulings,” explained Michael McCormick, executive director of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children. “The routine and unnecessary separation of children from a parent is creating a nation of fatherless kids.”

Following the premiere of the film, a discussion was held to address audience comments and questions about the subject matter.

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