Channing Tatum’s role in Beth de Araújo’s Sundance premiere, Josephine, prompted him to reconsider his own upbringing and think deeply about raising his daughter. The film centers on the impact of sexual assault as seen through the eyes of an eight-year-old girl, making Tatum reflect on how such trauma affects families and the conversations they struggle to have.
Josephine Portrays a Family Facing the Aftermath of Trauma
Josephine follows an eight-year-old girl, played by Mason Reeves, who witnesses a sexual assault. Her parents, portrayed by Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum, confront their own anxieties about handling the aftermath and how to support their child through trauma. The story reveals the challenges parents face in addressing difficult subjects with their children.
Tatum Connects Personal Experience to the Film’s Themes
Upon reading the script, Tatum found strong parallels between the character Damon and his own father’s strict Southern upbringing. He said,
“My dad raised me in a certain way, Southern, very hard, in a way, he grew up in a very hard way. I saw him very much in Damon. And then as I kept reading, and me and Beth were talking more and more, I really started to see the similarities and some of the things that I was doing as a father.” – Channing Tatum
With a 12-year-old daughter of his own, Tatum revealed the difficulty he faced explaining the film’s heavy subject matter to her, highlighting the discomfort many parents endure when discussing sexual violence.
“I have a 12-year-old, and you know, it’s hard. I came home after doing this, doing the press, with everybody in the premiere, and my daughter asked me how it went. And I haven’t really told her very much about what the movie was about, and then I found myself explaining the movie, and having a hard time even saying the word ‘rape’. She’s very, very smart, very clever. I know that she would be able to understand it, but it still made me… I’ve had conversations with her around this topic, but even just saying the word, I felt myself uncomfortable. And I think, this movie’s really highlighted what we don’t like to talk about is sometimes the most important things that we need to talk about.” – Channing Tatum
Director Beth de Araújo Explores Trauma Through a Child’s Perspective
Beth de Araújo described her film as a study in heightened awareness and fear seen through the eyes of a child who witnesses a traumatic event. She explained how the story captures the complex ways fear shapes behavior for those currently suffering, those who have endured trauma before, and those who repress it.
“An exploration of hyper-vigilance through an eight-year-old’s eyes. I wanted to take the idea of a child witnessing an event and being left with an enormous amount of fear, and taking that fear to an extreme and exploring how fear can influence our behavior. How does that affect someone who’s just had something pretty traumatic happen, and someone who has dealt with it maybe years before, and someone who has, pushed it away in many other ways? So three people coming at it in from very different ways.” – Beth de Araújo
Gemma Chan Shares Connection to Her Character and the Story’s Urgency
Gemma Chan was the first actor to join Josephine and found herself deeply moved by the character Claire’s struggle to protect her daughter amid uncertain dangers. Chan described the character as complicated, carrying hidden burdens and wrestling with the balance between shielding her child and exposing her to the world’s harsh realities.
“I think from the moment I first read the script, Claire, or so much about her, resonated with me. She’s a complicated character. She’s had certain things happen in her life, not all of which she has shared with her husband — although that’s open to some interpretation — but she is just really wrestling with, how can she protect her daughter? How can she shield her, but also give her enough sense of the reality of the danger of the world?” – Gemma Chan
Chan also emphasized the widespread lack of justice for sexual assault survivors, calling it,
“Essentially, it’s a crime that’s completely going unpunished and unchecked.” – Gemma Chan
Producers Speak Out on Inadequate Legal Consequences for Sexual Assault
Both Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum, who also produced Josephine, expressed shock over how lenient the judicial system is in dealing with sexual assault cases, noting the difficulty victims face in reporting crimes and securing convictions.
“I was shocked at the amount of time that this guy could have gotten,”
Tatum admitted, “I didn’t know.”
Beth de Araújo highlighted the minimal prison sentences in California for rape convictions, emphasizing the mismatch between the severity of the crime and the punishment.
“The mandatory minimum if you are convicted of rape in California is three years, and that used to be one year before the Stanford case [People v. Turner in 2016], which is a crazy thing to think about. It’s considered one of probably the worst crimes imaginable, and yet, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime, necessarily, in my opinion. The statistics are overwhelming. It’s one in four women in the United States, and it’s one in six men. I actually believe that that number is smaller. I think it’s probably one in five or one in four. I worked at the Los Angeles Rape and Battering crisis hotline, and it’s just much more under-reported for men [who are survivors of sexual assault.] I wish I knew the answer of when is the right time to tell your child about this, and I hope that it can open up the conversation of trying to figure out what that answer is, and trying to figure out a way that we can put more resources into this subject.” – Beth de Araújo
Chan added that even when cases are reported, charges rarely follow, citing the United Kingdom where fewer than 3% of reported rapes reach trial within a year.
“That’s also if it even gets to trial or for charges to be brought. I know that in the U.K. where I live, the statistics are less than 3% of reported rapes end up with a charge within the first year. It’s frightening. Essentially, it’s a crime that’s completely going unpunished and unchecked.” – Gemma Chan
Young Actress Mason Reeves Shares Experience on Set
Josephine marked the first acting role for Mason Reeves, who was discovered unexpectedly at a grocery store. Reeves admitted she was unaware of the film’s stars when cast.
“In fact, I didn’t know any actors.” – Mason Reeves
Despite the film’s serious themes, Reeves remembered the fun moments on set, especially those with her co-stars playing her parents.
“It was really fun because me and Gemma got to have a flour fight with the food, the baking flour. And Channing, whenever we were in between scenes, he would pretend to give me a high five, and then take it away the last second.” – Mason Reeves
Tatum recalled the playful dynamic with Reeves, joking about her teasing behavior.
“See that look that she giving me right now?”
Tatum laughed.
“I got maybe about 150,000 dirty looks a day, and she would terrorize me. That was her methodology to begin becoming an actress.” – Channing Tatum
The Film’s Urgent Message and Broader Implications
Josephine draws urgent attention to the silence and fear surrounding sexual assault, advocating for tougher laws and more open dialogue. The film pushes viewers to confront how trauma affects families while highlighting the legal system’s failures in protecting survivors and delivering justice.
By sharing these perspectives, Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan, and Beth de Araújo aim to spark better conversations about sexual violence, the difficulty of discussing it with children, and the critical need for legislative reform. Their work encourages society to address these uncomfortable truths and support survivors more effectively moving forward.
