In My Father’s House” explores identity and legacy in the African-American family, as Grammy award-winning
rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith and his long-lost father reconnect and try to build a new future in Chicago’s
turbulent South Side.
Che, whose work as a rapper/writer includes the insightful anthems "Jesus Walks" and "Bullet", has long found
inspiration in issues facing the African-American community, including the growing crisis of fatherlessness and
gang violence. Himself a child of a broken home, Che hasn't seen his father, Brian, in over 20 years, and presumes
him dead. But after buying his father's childhood home, Che sets out to find him, and learns that he is now a
homeless alcoholic living only several blocks away. Determined to rehabilitate him - and forge a new legacy
for his own young family - Che soon realizes Brian may not be ready to take on the responsibilities asked of him.
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The film - constructed from home movies, archival photographs, letters, phone calls and intimate verite footage
shot over the course of a year - offers a probing take on memory, legacy and identity in a family two generations
removed from slavery. As Brian transforms his life from homelessness to independent living, we witness external
changes (glasses, hearing aids, dentures) and internal struggle – capturing visceral moments of fear and self-doubt
in his attempts to repair damaged relationships while suffering alcoholic relapses. Mirroring his father’s journey,
Che embarks on his own quest for self-discovery, examining his role as son and father of three, as well as his
public life as rapper, radio personality and role-model activist. A heartbreaking story of violence, addiction, loss
and ultimately self-discovery, “In My Father’s House” tracks Che and Brian’s shared journey to create a new
legacy for themselves, their community and the next generation of family.