Naman Shrestha
Inspired by true events, Lifetime’s ‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story’ is a biographical crime drama movie helmed by Ali Liebert. The narrative follows the titular character, who is the daughter of Warren Jeffs, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a fundamentalist group that practices polygamy. Rachel is subjected to multiple traumatic experiences until she has had enough and decides to pave her own path. In order to escape her father’s abuse and manipulation, she hatches a plan to escape the community along with her children. The emotionally charged film is set within the secluded community of the FLDS, which serves as an additional character that keeps Rachel distant from the truth of the outside world.
Where Was Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story Filmed?
‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story’ was filmed in its entirety in British Columbia, particularly in the city of Kelowna. From what we can tell, the principal photography for the biopic took place over the course of a few weeks in the month of July 2025. The director, Ali Liebert, took to social media after the conclusion of the shooting. Expressing her gratitude, she stated, “This July, I had a super fulfilling time directing a lifetime original movie in Kelowna with a wonderfully talented and hilarious group of creatives.”
Kelowna, British Columbia
For the purpose of filming, the cast and crew of ‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story’ set up camp in Kelowna in the westernmost province of British Columbia. The production was seemingly carried out at multiple spots in the city, which is nestled on the eastern shore of the Okanagan Valley in the southern part of the province. Kelowna is a prominent filming destination for a variety of reasons. It is surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of majestic mountains, serene lakes, and vineyards. Not only that, but the city also offers a unique assortment of sites, ranging from charming old-world structures to modern landmarks, making it easy to create a wide range of settings.
The aesthetic appeal, combined with state-of-the-art production facilities and favorable weather conditions, attracts filmmakers from around the world to film in the region. Therefore, the production team’s decision to tape the emotional and powerful journey of Rachel Jeffs against the locales of Orchard City worked out in their favor as the visuals enhance the emotional depth of the narrative. Over the years, it has served as the shooting site for several movies and television shows, including several Lifetime productions. Some of the Lifetime thrillers that were shot in the city are ‘A Mother’s Nightmare,’ ‘A Wife’s Nightmare,’ ‘The Boy Who Vanished,’ ‘A Sister’s Nightmare,’ ‘The Bear Lake Murders,’ ‘My Mom Made Me Do It,’ ‘When Mom Becomes a Murderer,’ as well as ‘Secrets on Maple Street.’
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Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story Cast Details
‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs’ is driven by the performances of its leads, Kaitlyn Bernard and Michael Eklund, who portray their respective characters with impressive conviction. While Kaitlyn has over two dozen projects to her credit, Michael has cemented his name in the industry by appearing in nearly 150 productions, most of which feature him as the villain. Aside from their experience in the field, the two also share a solid camaraderie, having worked together in the 2020 film ‘The Sinners,’ for which Kaitlyn also bagged the Best Actor award at the Newark International Film Festival. Together, the two add enough authenticity and vulnerability to showcase the harrowing complexities in the intense narrative.
Kaitlyn Bernard as Rachel Jeffs
Kaitlyn Bernard steps into the titular role in ‘Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story.’ You may recognize her as Taylor in ‘The Professor,’ Keri Moore in ‘The Lake,’ and Abigail in ‘The Healer.’ Alongside that, she also gained recognition for her work in the Netflix adaptation of Stephen King’s eponymous novel, ‘1922,’ as Shannon Cotterie. However, she made a huge mark by her performance in ‘The Sinners’ and ‘Cadence,’ for which she also won the Best Actor Award at the Newark International Film Festival 2020 and the Best Principal or Supporting Actress in a Feature Film Age 13 & Over Award at the Joey Award in 2017. She can also be seen in ‘When Calls the Heart,’ ‘Haven,’ ‘R.L. Stine’s the Haunting Hour,’ ‘Everyone’s Famous,’ and ‘A Novel Noel.’
Michael Eklund as Warren Jeffs
Michael Eklund essays the role of Rachel’s manipulative father, Warren Jeffs, in the thriller movie. A regular name in the entertainment industry, he is renowned for his performance as Michael Foster in ‘The Call,’ Eadweard Muybridge in Eadweard,’ Geoffrey Burton in ‘Errors of the Human Body,’ Abraham/Jacob Van Helsing in ‘Van Helsing,’ Bobo Del Rey/Robert Svane in ‘Wynonna Earp,’ and Martin in ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,’ among others. Michael’s popular credits include movies and television shows such as ‘The Divide,’ ‘Smallville,’ ‘Walk All Over Me,’ ‘Bates Motel,’ ‘Terminal City,’ ‘Traveler,’ ‘Intelligence,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Arrow,’ ‘Psych,’ and ‘Cold Pursuit.’ Besides the lead actors, Britt Robertson also makes an appearance in the Lifetime production.
