How Exhibiting Forgiveness Explores the Limits of Religion and Absolution

As a film enthusiast and someone who has spent years delving into the complexities of human relationships, I find Kaphar’s work in “Exhibiting Forgiveness” to be nothing short of profound. His ability to portray a character like La’Ron, who is deeply flawed yet not wholly unlikable, is a testament to his years of introspection and the raw honesty he brings to his craft.

In 2016, Titus Kaphar created “The Jerome Project,” a short documentary delving into the impact of his father’s abuse and drug addiction on his childhood. However, upon its completion, he realized that he had only barely touched the subject matter. As he expressed, “Upon wrapping up the project, it was evident to me that it effectively depicted where we were, but not the journey that led us there.

In his latest movie titled “Exhibiting Forgiveness”, Kaphar, who is a renowned painter like the character he portrays, presents André Holland as Tarrell. This film, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and scheduled for release on October 18, revolves around Tarrell, an American artist whose life is disrupted by the reappearance of his abusive father La’Ron and the deteriorating health of his mother Joyce. Their religious beliefs compel Tarrell to forgive La’Ron easily, but he finds himself in a tumultuous struggle between his faith-based values and the lingering pain from past abuse. Breaking away from the conventional portrayal of religion as a panacea in Black cinema, this film offers a gritty and authentic depiction of coping with childhood trauma in adulthood. For Kaphar, exploring fiction provided an opportunity to delve deeper into his father’s psyche, something that wouldn’t have been possible through documentary-making.

Kaphar’s artwork frequently invites us to delve into the past. The Jerome Project originated from his quest through prison records for details about his father. This journey led him to uncover mugshots of 97 other African American men who share his father’s first and last name, whom he later interviewed and painted using techniques reminiscent of Renaissance and Byzantine art on gold-leaf backdrops tainted with tar. His other pieces also reclaim history by depicting white-washed portraits of Black soldiers from the Civil War, collages showing confrontations between Black faces and slave-owning whites, and scenes that reinterpret Black individuals into Biblical narratives.

The act of showing Forgiveness, as depicted in his work, stems from profound pain and complex emotions he has experienced. A friend of mine commented after watching the film, “You’ve been painting this story your entire life.” Kaphar’s collaborator in the creation of this movie is Holland, an actor whose captivating eyes and charming smile have driven Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Ava DuVernay’s Selma, and Steven Soderbergh’s High Flying Bird. As you watch the raw anguish and candid reflections that shape Tarrell’s journey, it feels as though only through their combined efforts could Kaphar and Holland have produced such an authentic portrayal of religion’s limitations in addressing generational trauma.

Prior to the point when Kaphar expressed the need for action, Holland and Kaphar had already been establishing a connection between them. To ensure authenticity in portrayal, the director extended an invitation to his lead actor to visit his studio in New Haven, Connecticut, so they could learn painting techniques together. During this time, they not only honed their artistic skills but also shared insights about themselves, particularly their unique relationships with their fathers. As Holland shares during our Zoom discussion before the film’s premiere, “Although we have distinct connections to our fathers, we managed to deeply connect over the subject of our fathers.

Kaphar states that André’s dedication to his craft is deep and essential for the success of the film. He emphasizes the need for someone who is fully committed, as it’s not an easy path. Holland adds that the subject matter they were exploring was intense, so they agreed to look out for each other during the process, regularly checking in with one another to ensure everyone was coping well.

Spending those months together also fostered trust between the actor and director. The movie Exhibiting Forgiveness is filled with emotional breakdowns and confrontations that are emotionally charged. Tarrell grapples with post-traumatic nightmares stemming from his father’s violent drug addiction. When he recalls the abuse his father inflicted on him and his mother, Tarrell experiences post-traumatic nightmares of his father’s addiction and outbursts of anger. In a particularly heart-wrenching scene, La’Ron makes a teenage Tarrell continue mowing a white woman’s lawn despite the fact that he has stepped on a nail. These nightmares have left Tarrell with an overwhelming anxiety that he might repeat his father’s mistakes with his own child.

Experiencing the excavation of such deeply personal hurt naturally left a strong emotional impact on Kaphar. In his own words, “Seeing André endure what I once did was devastating,” he reminisces. “It brought to light the feelings I’d long been holding back.

In the portrayal of his character, Holland drew from his own life experiences, as his father was battling cancer when he initially read Kaphar’s script. His interactions with his dad served as a basis for his depiction of Tarrell. Similarly, John Earl Jelks, who played La’Ron, incorporated his personal relationship with his own father into the production. For Holland, the set symbolized a place where “our fathers could be present and connected to all those spirits,” he said.

In every scene of Kaphar’s film, I find a profound sense of spirituality, particularly when it comes to the act of painting. Interestingly enough, the one sanctuary where Tarrell finds solace, aside from being with his son and his wife Aisha (Andra Day), is in his studio. Here, art serves not just as a means of meditation but also becomes a form of devotion.

Kaphar created various artworks for the movie, each one depicting different levels of progression to give the illusion that Holland was creating these pieces on screen. These oil paintings draw inspiration from Tarrell’s cinematic memories, showcasing scenes of children playing and riding bikes in their neighborhood, as well as portraits of other characters. Unlike some of Kaphar’s typical works, these artworks lack depictions of radiant angels or images of Christ. However, he maintains that even the movie’s pieces, currently on display at the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles until November 2nd, are deeply connected to his religious background. “Those who love me dearest are believers,” Kaphar says, explaining their role in saving him. “My spiritual path may differ from, say, my grandmother and mother’s, but the values I hold were instilled by those women.

It seems that Exhibiting Forgiveness stands out as a thoughtful examination of the limitations of forgiveness in finding true resolution, differentiating itself from films such as The Green Mile, The Color Purple, Soul Food, the Best Man series, Kingdom Come, and others. These latter productions tend to rush forgiveness towards tidy conclusions, but Exhibiting Forgiveness doesn’t assume that the issues between Tarrell and La’Ron can be easily resolved through a magic solution. Furthermore, unlike many of those films, it steers clear of portraying forgiveness as an easy remedy. Instead, it avoids shifting the burden of sin from the perpetrator to the victim by not oversimplifying the process.

In one evocative scene, Tarrell’s mother, Joyce sits with her son on a park bench, pleading with him to forgive La’Ron. She even quotes the Bible—Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Tarrell responds with a biblical story himself, that of God testing Abraham’s faith by demanding he kill his only son Isaac. Tarrell uses the scripture to demonstrate how God’s word can neither be taken wholesale nor be used to mend all wounds. 

Originating from Alabama’s Southern Black church community, Holland felt hesitant about immersing himself in such an emotionally charged setting. “I must confess,” he admits with a laugh, “I harbor a profound respect for the scripture. To me, blending a curse word with a Bible verse would be enough to send me straight to hell. So I was quite apprehensive.

Before he even began filming Exhibiting Forgiveness, however, Holland was already reflecting on religion. He is presently studying for his Masters in Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School. Since beginning his studies, he’s thought about the origins of religion, how we define it, and the ways several doctrines have changed. “Religion’s been used in a variety of different ways throughout history. It’s been used to inspire folks to do great things, and it’s also been used to justify some pretty horrific things as well. It’s both. I was bound up in that struggle as we were on set. I could not decouple those two things,” says Holland.

In the movie, Tarrell’s father seems to use religion as a means to reconnect with his son. However, it remains unclear whether La’Ron’s transformation – his sobriety and attempts to make amends for past mistakes – is entirely sincere. During conversations with Tarrell, La’Ron frequently quotes the Bible in an attempt to seek forgiveness, but he never acknowledges or takes responsibility for physically abusing Tarrell and Joyce or his drug addiction. Instead, he portrays these issues as challenges that have helped shape his character. As a result, Tarrell is left to carry much of the emotional burden of moving on. This one-sided, inward focus culminates in a meeting between father and son that does not necessarily bring catharsis but leaves room for ambiguity: Did Tarrell ultimately forgive his father?

In a surprising twist, this movie’s ending shuns the typical neat resolution, instead inviting viewers and characters alike to grapple with complexities. Kaphar masterfully prompts us to scrutinize our own toxic relationships, born out of misguided motivations. As Holland eloquently put it, “Forgiveness, as I was taught, meant turning the other cheek and forgiving without question. I’ve done this often to my detriment. What I’ve discovered through making this film is a form of forgiveness with boundaries.

As a dedicated admirer, I’d like to highlight an incredible feat in “Exhibiting Forgiveness”: Kaphar skillfully avoids completely turning La’Ron into an unrelatable character. Instead, he portrays him as imperfect yet not wicked. This delicate balance is the product of deep introspection spanning decades, resulting in a rare authenticity and vulnerability that permeates the entire film. Interestingly, this process led Kaphar to a profound realization during the filmmaking journey itself.

In my own words, Kaphar shares, “For much of my life, my dad has faced hardships, and it’s crucial for me to be open about that. Now, I feel compelled to say something that carries great significance: despite everything, I continue to cherish him deeply. What’s even more profound is that, following the creation of this film, I’ve come to understand that my father isn’t cast as the antagonist in my story.

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2024-10-18 20:06