This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
*”Finding Faith,” a new inspirational drama from Summer House Pictures, Black Bench Productions, and Third Eye Productions, hits theaters nationwide on June 16 and 17, in collaboration with Fathom Entertainment. Directed by LazRael Lison, the film features an all-star cast led by Paula Patton as Faith Mitchell, a woman navigating profound loss and rediscovering her strength. In an exclusive interview, Patton shares her deep connection to the role, the emotional challenges of portraying Faith, and the message of hope she hopes audiences will embrace.
Patton was drawn to the role of Faith Mitchell during a challenging period in her own life. “It was a miraculous day because I had been going through a challenging time. I didn’t know what was coming next for me. It was really scary. I had this anxiety and this nervousness, and I just said, you know what, God, I give it to you,” Patton recalls.
She adopted a mindset of trust, deciding to “just live in that place of ultimate faith that everything is going to work out.” That same week, she received a call from producer Charles Porter about a film titled “Finding Faith.” “I thought I was going to throw the phone. You’ve got to be kidding me. It was miraculous,” she says.
The script resonated deeply with Patton. “I read it and I couldn’t believe that this woman had been through similar things, not the exact same, but certainly issues with sobriety, issues with feeling pain and loss and finding your way out of it,” she explains. The film’s blend of emotional depth, thriller elements, and romance also captivated her.
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“I was thoroughly entertained because it has a bit of a thriller aspect to it and a romance. So it was like, oh, this is something I want to be a part of. And also just because there was a miracle on it. It felt as if God had sent it to me, quite frankly.”
Patton hopes audiences take away a message of resilience and trust from Faith’s transformation. “… after winter must come spring, right? There will be night, but there will be morning and the sun, joy cometh in the morning, right?” she says.
She emphasizes that challenges are temporary and purposeful: “Every challenge is there for us to grow and not be afraid of them when they come, because pain is going to come. There’s going to be challenging times, but that doesn’t mean they’re temporary. They are temporary, and they’re there to help you grow as a being.”
Filming “Finding Faith” was a deeply personal experience for Patton, particularly scenes depicting Faith’s struggles with sobriety. “Having to be inebriated again, to play that when I hadn’t been for seven years, that was like probably the scariest part,” she shares. Revisiting those moments allowed her to confront her past self.
“I had to really go back and look at my old self and how I was thinking and feeling then. And what was kind of miraculous was that it helped me forgive her,” Patton says. “I was able to forgive her and know she was doing the best she could. She didn’t know any better.”
Working with a stellar ensemble, including Loretta Devine and Keith David, elevated the experience. “Working with legends, it’s always just, you hope to learn by osmosis, just being in their presence,” Patton says. She highlights a spontaneous moment with Devine during a kitchen scene: “She was supposed to leave, but while we were filming, she wouldn’t leave. And it forced my character to do and act in a different way. And for that, I’m forever grateful.”
The cast and crew’s shared connection to the story’s themes of struggle and redemption fueled their performances. “Every single cast member and a lot of the crew too, all could connect to the story, had been through similar struggles and pain, had to find their way back from having no faith,” Patton notes.
On the film’s themes of grief and moving forward, Patton offers a poignant reflection: “Sometimes people, when they’re grieving, feel like they need to grieve forever. And that’s not the case. The people that have passed on don’t want that for us. You don’t have to prove that. We’re meant to live joyful lives.”
She credits director LazRael Lison’s script and collaborative spirit for bringing Faith’s story to life. “He had written an incredible script, and it just touched my heart,” she says. “We got together and we started talking about how we can bring this script to life in the best possible way? Who’s the best cast? How can we best bring this visually alive?”
Patton ranks Faith among her most significant roles, alongside her performance in “Precious.”
“I think one of my most personal roles next to playing the teacher in Precious,” she says. “Finding Faith, it’s so personal, because I know what it is to walk in the desert and have to be stripped away of all the things that you thought made you valuable.” She describes the process as a journey of self-discovery: “You have to just walk in that desert alone and find your way out and figure out who are you really, what are your values really, what really means anything to you.”
For audiences seeking hope or healing, Patton offers an encouraging message: “You take one step to God, and God will take 1000 steps towards you,” she says, recalling advice that guided her own journey.
“You can take one baby step, one little moment where you just go, I’m going to step out of the night, I’m going to step out of winter, and trust that there’s something else on the other side.”
She believes the film will both entertain and uplift.
“I believe it takes you in places you don’t expect,” she says of the story. “But also, I hope it opens your heart and your mind and you leave with greater hope and faith.”
“Finding Faith” promises to be a moving and unexpected journey, anchored by Paula Patton’s heartfelt performance. As Patton herself experienced, the film’s message of trust and renewal may arrive at just the right moment for those who need it most.
Watch our full conversation with the star below.
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Paula Patton Leads All-Star Cast in Emotional New Film ‘Finding Faith’ | Watch Trailer
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