'Emancipation' Producer 'Wholeheartedly' Apologizes for Bringing Enslaved Man Photo to Premiere
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Emancipation producer Joey McFarland has apologized to anyone he offended by bringing the "Enslaved Man" photo to the film's Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 30.
The man in the jarring historical photo, known as "Whipped Peter," played by Will Smith in the movie, inspired the project, and McFarland said via social media Sunday that he only brought it to the premiere to "honor" the man involved.
"I wholeheartedly apologize to everyone I have offended by bringing a photograph of Peter to the Emancipation premiere," he began in a typed-up letter posted on his Instagram feed. "My intent was to honor this remarkable man and to remind the general public that his image not only brought about change in 1863 but still resonates and promotes change today."
The photo of "Whipped Peter" was taken during a Union Army medical examination and first appeared in Harper's Weekly, according to the film's synopsis. The image that McFarland brought to the premiere is called "The Scourged Back" which shows Peter's wounded back after a severe whipping from his enslavers — a photograph that "ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery," the synopsis adds.
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"After uncovering Peter's origin story with help from diligent historians, I spent the last few years working with the Emancipation creative team in order to bring his story to life so worldwide audiences would have an opportunity to appreciate his heroism," continued McFarland in his social media post.
Noting that he hoped his actions wouldn't "distract from the film's message and Peter's story," McFarland added that he decided to share the image because of the impact Peter had on the world.
Additionally, he acknowledged stories and photographs of others who deserved to have their tales told as well, explaining that his aim was to have "the individuals depicted in the photographs" remembered and their stories "told with the greatest dignity and respect."
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Speaking to PEOPLE at the film's premiere, Smith, 54, said he wanted people to face the harsh reality of the real-life material so that it might affect their future actions.
"I wanted to be a part of creating something that could be helpful," Smith told PEOPLE about playing the lead role in the movie. "There's a harsh reality in this film that I feel when you confront it, when you have to look at it, I hope it creates empathy and compassion that will help us to avoid some of the same paths that we went down as a country in the past."
Apple TV+ Will Smith in Emancipation (2022)
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On premiere night, McFarland discussed the photograph with Variety.
"I have the photo. This is the original photograph from 1863. I wanted it to be here tonight. I wanted a piece of Peter to be here tonight," he said. "Sadly to say, so many artifacts and photographs have not been preserved or curated or respected. And I took it upon myself to curate and build a collection for future generations."
Emancipation is currently being screened in select theatres and will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on Dec. 09.
