Director Titus Kaphar says it was “emotionally difficult” to bring his story to life in ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’

The new film Exhibiting Forgiveness graces theater screens Friday, and it chronicles the story of an admired painter, Tarrell, whose “path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, La’Ron, a conscience-stricken man desperate to reconcile,” per the movie’s website. The film’s inspired by the paintings and personal story of director Titus Kaphar, who shares how it feels to bring it all to life onscreen.

“It’s the life part that’s complicated, that’s moving,” he tells ABC Audio. “When I make a painting, it has a kind of life … and it emits a kind of energy … but there’s something about us being humans, watching other humans in motion, experiencing the things that they experience that triggers something in us … and gets us in our feelings.”

He notes it was difficult for him to watch actor André Holland‘s Tarrell “go through some of the things that I went through.”

“I thought I had gotten over so much of this stuff, but … there were many times where I was pulled off set because I just … needed time to cry,” Titus says.

When asked how he defines forgiveness, Titus shares, “Christian A. Smith says this the best. He says forgiveness requires a renegotiation of boundaries. I don’t think that that’s the way that we often think about it. I think we often think about forgiveness as this thing that you do and then you’re done.”

“That’s not the kind of forgiveness that this film is talking about,” he adds. “This film is talking about the kind of forgiveness that allows you to unburden yourself, to not carry those things that you were carrying. And at the same time, say ‘you don’t owe me anything, but I’m going in that direction and I think you’re going in that direction, and that is OK.'”