Channing Tatum broke down in tears multiple times during the world premiere of 'Josephine' at the Sundance Film Festival, calling the film a bold exploration of trauma. The indie drama, directed by Beth de Araújo and inspired by her childhood, stars Tatum and Gemma Chan as parents navigating their daughter's exposure to a sexual assault. The screening ended with a standing ovation from the audience.
The world premiere of 'Josephine' on January 23, 2026, at the Sundance Film Festival's U.S. Dramatic Competition marked a standout moment of the event. Directed and written by Beth de Araújo, the film draws from the filmmaker's own traumatic childhood experiences. It follows 8-year-old Josephine (played by newcomer Mason Reeves), who witnesses a sexual assault while running in Golden Gate Park with her father, Damien (Channing Tatum). Damien quickly apprehends the assailant (Philip Ettinger), but the incident profoundly affects Josephine, forcing her to grapple with concepts beyond her understanding.
Tatum and Gemma Chan portray the protective parents, Claire and Damien, who struggle to explain the harsh reality to their daughter. The story builds to a courtroom scene where Josephine courageously testifies, though the film withholds the verdict to focus on her psychological journey. As Claire tells Josephine, “It is your responsibility for you to fix your own pain.” Damien, viewing challenges through a sports lens, suggests pain builds strength, highlighting the parents' differing approaches and leading to family arguments.
At the Eccles Theater screening, Tatum was overcome with emotion, bawling “five, six, seven” times. In a post-premiere interview at the Variety Studio, he reflected, “I bawled my eyes out. It was such a beautiful scene. That was unexpected. There are so many moments in this movie where you think about your own child and your own childhood.” As a father himself, Tatum noted the film has reshaped his parenting: “It has made me look at myself and the way I parent and what the connection is and how I’m communicating things.” He praised Araújo's direction as “brave” and “bold,” emphasizing her storytelling over conventional filmmaking.
De Araújo's second feature, following her 2022 single-shot thriller 'Soft & Quiet,' addresses trauma with sensitivity and ambiguity, allowing audiences to interpret the characters' responses. The 120-minute film, produced in part by Tatum and Chan, earned a rousing standing ovation and will next screen at the Berlin International Film Festival.
