The film’s producer has a collection of images he grew during the making of the movie (Picture: Michael Hickey/Getty Images for Kentucky Center for African American Heritage and York Management)
Emancipation producer Joey McFarland has apologised after sparking an online backlash with his decision to take a photo of an enslaved man to the film’s Los Angeles premiere last week.
The Apple Original Films project – which marks star Will Smith’s first release since he infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March for a joke he made about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith – is inspired by the true story of ‘Whipped Peter’, a man named Gordon who escaped slavery and joined the Union army in the nineteenth century.
During his medical examination in 1863, Gordon’s scarred back was photographed, with the picture subsequently becoming one of the most widely circulated images of slavery of its time, as people were presented with the evidence of its horrors.
However, McFarland was roundly criticised for being ‘tone deaf’ and ‘colossally inappropriate’ in his decision to carry the original photo with him at the premiere on Wednesday, with accusations of him using it as a ‘red carpet prop’.
‘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,’ the 50-year-old explained at the event.
‘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,’ he added to Variety.
Will Smith as ‘Whipped Peter’, real name Gordon, who inspired Emancipation and is in the original photo that McFarland had (Picture: Apple TV+)
‘What a colossally inappropriate thing to do on every level. He shouldn’t own it. Shouldn’t use the wrong name for it. And definitely should not bring it to show and tell,’ tweeted one critic, while another wrote: ‘Seems quite tone deaf. The photograph of a man who suffered at the hands of white slavers shouldn’t be used by a white man as a red carpet prop. It’s uncomfortable in all the wrong ways. “My collection.”’
‘I will never understand the desire to own images of enslaved peoples or “artifacts” that were used to torture and harm people. History as it truly happened should be known, but he has no business owning a “collection” like that,’ pointed out a third.
‘I wholeheartedly apologise to everyone I have offended by bringing a photograph of Peter to the Emancipation premiere,’ wrote in a statement posted on Instagram on Sunday. ‘My intent was to honour 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.’
Star Smith with director Antoine Fuqua at the London premiere on Friday (Picture: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
McFarland said that he wanted to make Emancipation so worldwide audiences would have ‘an opportunity to appreciate his heroism’.
‘I hope my actions don’t distract from the film’s message, Peter’s story and just how much impact he had on the world.’
He continued: ‘Throughout the research and development of Emancipation, I discovered photographs of overlooked and historically important individuals whose stories also needed to be told. One photograph, of Martin Delaney, is on loan to the National Portrait Gallery and currently on exhibit.’
McFarland at Wednesday’s premiere with a guest (Picture: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
The producer, who also worked on The Wolf of Wall Street and Papillon, added that his ‘plan was always to donate the photographs to the appropriate institution, in consultation with the community, and I believe there is no better time to begin that process than now’.
McFarland insisted that the photos ‘belong to the world’, finishing: ‘My goal has always been to find the right permanent home and make sure they are accessible, to honour their significance. And most importantly, that the individuals depicted in the photographs are remembered and their stories are told with the greatest dignity and respect.’
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Update: All traces of the so-called #McFarlandCollection – both the collection and evidence of ownership of the individual photos – have been removed from Instagram without comment.
But the internet is forever. pic.twitter.com/tqh7HFyEFt
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) December 3, 2022
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The producer had reportedly started sharing his collection of photographs on Instagram after filming wrapped on Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua, using the hashtag ‘#McFarlandCollection’.
However, all traces of this now appear to have been removed from the social media site.
Metro.co.uk has contacted a rep for Joey McFarland for further comment.
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He was accused of being ‘tone deaf’ and ‘colossally inappropriate’.
