Diaries of Dada: a father's documentary for his son
Alex Alvarez wanted to leave his son a film about his life. He came with the idea and years of his own footage, but no plan. Video Department (VIDEO DEPT.), a Fort Lauderdale video production studio, filmed a long night interview with him in Miami and built a 24-minute documentary around it.
- Client
- Alex Alvarez, Miami
- Format
- Personal documentary, 24 minutes
- Made by
- VIDEO DEPT., Fort Lauderdale: the night interview, the story structure and the edit
- Released
- August 2025, on Alex's YouTube channel
The idea
Alex had been filming his life for years with one goal: to give his son a record of who his father was, in his own words. He had the reason and the footage. What he didn't have was a shape for the film. In his words: "I came to Nick with an idea for a video that I wanted to dedicate to my son. I had no idea, no vision, no preparation."
What we made
- A long night interview. VIDEO DEPT. filmed Alex by a high-rise window, with a warm orange light beside him and the city lights of Miami behind him. One long, unhurried conversation became the spine of the film: where he came from, what nearly broke him, what kept him going, and what he hopes for his son.
- A story in chapters. We built the film from that interview, old family photos and the footage Alex had gathered over the years: the gym, the boxing ring, the beach and the football field with his son. Chapter cards such as "What I wish for him" make it read like a diary.
- An edit made together. Alex sat with Nikita Marushkov, the founder of VIDEO DEPT., through the edit, so every story, photo and moment in the film is his.
Who a film like this is for: parents who want to leave their children more than photos, and founders and families who want a life story told properly, in their own words. It takes one long interview plus whatever you already have: photos, phone videos, old home movies. VIDEO DEPT., a video production studio since 2017, shapes it into a film people watch to the end.
"Nikita created a video project for me that is truly the most special gift I've ever received in my life. … he created a masterpiece project and exceeded my wildest expectations."
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