Exhibiting Forgiveness review is a moving father-son drama.

Stories of estranged family members finding their way back to each other have been a staple of the festival for a long time, and one that can grow wearying as a result. Exhibiting Forgiveness, showing in the main dramatic competition here, may not revolutionise the form but he finds an authentic and sensitive way through, distinguishing his film from the flurry of other superficial stories. Kaphar grapples with a strained relationship with his own father, based on a recorded conversation they once had after 15 years of no contact. Kaphar has created a drama that will appeal to those who have had to confront the complicated equation of radical forgiveness, but he has also created something that deserves to exist outside of his inner circle. When does carrying so much resentment start to hurt you more? They are questions that have been buried by painter Tarrell, with a sleekly organized life far from his conflicted upbringing, the light of his devoted mother, and the dark of his abusive father. There is something eating away at him, night terrors that won't go away, and when he travels home with his wife and young son to help his mother move house, the re-emergence of his father causes a difficult dilemma. Kaphar refuses to give answers to troubling questions like how one comes to terms with the good things a bad parent might be partly responsible for and how you learn to silence the worst parts of them. There are only a few flashes back, mostly focused on one day where La'Ron cruelly instills a sense of extreme work ethic in a young Tarrell, a layer of steel he insists is vital in a world that will demand it. How much of the strength of his career can be attributed to him? Kaphar allows difficult moments to linger, as Tarrell worries that he will never be able to find his way through this emotional maze. Tarrell was tired of how religion was used to imply goodness when it wasn't true. Holland has a rage in his face that he knows has come from his father, a darker part of himself that he is quicker to credit. He is great here, the kind of dream in-every- scene showcase he has never really been allowed on screen before, and there are enough thrilling moments, battling with his mother over her enduring love for his father and a final explosion of emotion, to push Holland into both next. Ellis-Taylor and Jelks are both great arguments with their parents, it feels like we are watching them on stage. Kaphar is a first-time director with a background in visual art, and he makes for a refreshingly restrained film-maker, keeping visual gimmicky at bay and involving his real paintings only when the film requires. He understands how important it is to use one's art as a way to untangle the knots of a troubled upbringing, but avoids any pretentious overstatement. Kaphar makes a few more mistakes along the way, a slight overstack of melodrama near the end, some crudely cartoonish art world stereotypes and some lines that are a tad ungainly. Kaphar knows that forgiveness is harder than that and his film refuses to make things easy.