An emotional video is urging children and fathers to look each other in the eyes and share how they feel.
It may sound simple, but, as the three-minute viral video shows, the results can be surprisingly touching.
In the film, ten pairs of fathers and children are asked to stand against a white backdrop and look directly at each other. The child is then prompted to ask the question: "What about me makes you proud?"
The responses quickly evolve into emotional exchanges: tears, meaningful pauses, hugs and confessions.
The project, titled "Tell them Now," was created by Vancouver-based company Echo Storytelling.
"An amazing number of people have said 'I never told my dad I love him,' " the company’s founder, Samantha Reynolds, told CTV Vancouver.
"Our mission with this video is 'Tell them now! Don’t wait.' Deepen in that relationship, honour that relationship, and tell the people you love that you love them."
In a post on the company’s website, Reynolds explains that she didn’t grow up with a father herself. While she said she never felt as though she was missing out, Reynolds said "something shifted" when she saw her husband interacting with their daughter.
She decided to create the video as a sort of social experiment. The results, she said, surprised everybody involved.
In total, 17 father-child pairs participated in the project. Reynolds wrote that the participants weren’t prepared in advance, but the filmmakers "went deep right away and they went deep with us."
Now, ahead of Father's Day, the company is urging fathers and children to recreate the powerful moments caught on camera.
The video has already been viewed more than 300,000 times, and its creators are encouraging viewers to share their own stories on social media, using the hashtag #TellThemNow.
"We hope it will inspire you to pick up the phone and call your dad. Tell him why you’re grateful; tell him why you're proud. He might just do the same," the video's caption says.
With a report by CTV Vancouver's Julie Nolin.
