The Forgiven

The Forgiven is a drama set in South Africa after the end of apartheid, as the country confronts the crimes committed under the old regime. Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the body tasked with investigating past atrocities in exchange for confessions. His work is frustrated by the silence of former perpetrators, until he receives a request from Piet Blomfeld, a white man serving a life sentence for a series of murders who now seeks redemption. Tutu visits the high-security prison where Blomfeld is held, and their encounter draws him into a confrontation that tests his faith in forgiveness.

Roland Joffé directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Ashton. The film came late in Joffé's career, following earlier work such as The Killing Fields, The Mission and The Lovers. Forest Whitaker plays Tutu, with Eric Bana as Blomfeld and supporting turns from Jeff Gum, Debbie Sherman, Terry Norton and Dominika Jablonska.

The production had a budget of 15 million US dollars and was made as a British and South African co-production. It runs 115 minutes. On IMDb, its rating of 6 out of 10 comes from roughly 3,200 votes; on TMDB it holds 6.1 out of 10 from far fewer votes, indicating a modest audience. A critics' rating of 6.6 out of 10 from 22 reviews places it somewhat above the audience scores.