“My dad didn’t see me as deaf. He saw me as capable. And that was what was so beautiful about my dad.”
So signs actor Troy Kotsur in the new documentary, To My Father. The film is a powerful tribute to Kotsur’s father, Leonard, and runs parallel to the heart of the Christmas narrative, which is that we are always capable of triumphing over our circumstances, no matter what they might be.
The film was made in conjunction with Dad Saves America, founded by filmmaker John Papola.
“The powerful fact of the Christmas story is that it’s the ultimate rejection of victimhood,” Papola told Fox News in a recent interview.
As the documentary shows, while Kotsur had a difficult childhood due to his deafness, the love and support from his father played a key role in allowing him to overcome those challenges and pursue his dream of becoming an actor.
Leonard was a devout Catholic and a police officer. When Kotsur was in high school, his father was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, rendering him incapable of signing with his son. Despite this, Kotsur’s father never lost faith.
“He was a symbol of staying faithful,” Kotsur said of his father.
Leonard’s belief in Kotsur never wavered. He knew his son was capable of great things.
Last year, Kotsur won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a deaf father in the film CODA.
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila tweeted that the documentary is a “must watch during this Christmas Season!”
Watch the full documentary above! And be sure to have a box of tissues handy.