Rev. Delores Thornton is premiering her “swan song” film this May.
“Jesus’ Love Brought Me Back,’ a short film inspired by the life of Indy-based Pastor Juanita Bumphus, is set to premiere on May 17 at P30. The film, which was written, directed and produced by Thornton through her company Chess Press, aims to emphasize the importance of addressing domestic violence and mental health issues, particularly within the Black community.
“She told me her story years ago, and I published it. Then she wanted a film, so I’m doing the short film,” Thornton told the Recorder. “I just think (this) would be something that will really help our community, especially as we’re dealing with all of the domestic violence. Somebody just has to intercede, and I think this will help.”
“Jesus’ Love Brought Me Back” follows the story of a young girl whose family separates due to domestic violence at the hands of her father. The children are scattered to various areas of the city, while the girl — whose character is based on Bumphus — spends ten years in foster care. Once she returned to her mother’s care, she got into all kinds of trouble; by age 15, she was thrown out of school. Eventually, she finds the Lord and begins to turn her life around, leading her to become a pastor, Thornton said.
“I felt so compelled to share her story, even though some people felt that it was too much for her to reveal by being a minister,” Thornton said. “I don’t think so. I think her story can help other people.”
Thornton is no stranger to writing books and later adapting them into films, so the biggest issue she faced with this project was scheduling. The actors featured in the film aren’t “big Hollywood actors,” Thornton said. Instead, she enlisted the help of her friends — licensed family therapists and counselors who deal with domestic violence every day and could help inform the narrative.
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Thornton is also a one-woman band, often working with a low or no budget, spending her own time, money and love on these projects just to see the satisfaction on people’s faces when their stories are brought to life, she said. Even Thornton’s poem “The Separation Line” was set to music and featured in the film as the theme song.
However, “Jesus’ Love Brought Me Back” will be Thornton’s “swan song,” so to speak — or at least, the last film she will produce with Chess Press.
“I’m extremely proud, but there is a hint of sadness, you know? There have been so many others behind me, so many people… that followed in my writing tradition and started writing books, and so many filmmakers that have come on the scene,” Thornton said.
Thornton has quite the literary resume, having published her first of seven books in 1997, followed by four plays and two films. She also traveled across the country, received literary awards — including Local Literary Legend by the Going Girls Book Club — and founded and coordinated the first two years of the Indiana Book Fest at Central Library. Thornton also had the first film shown in Indiana at a Black movie theatre with an all-Black cast and a Black director.
“There’s by no means I wish to leave the arts community, because I’ve been a part of it for over 30 years now, but this will be my last film from Chess Press,” Thornton said. “I’ve done everything I wanted to do; now I need to do what I was called to do, and I was called to ministry, so I plan to devote a lot of my time to ministry.”
One aspect of Thornton’s ministry relates to her mission with this film: letting people know it’s okay to seek help, even if the trauma someone endured occurred in their early life. It’s especially important in the African American community, as Thornton said there tends to be a stigma against addressing mental health issues.
“People tend to think they can get over certain things, but a lot of times, when we see what happens to adults, it’s almost triggered by something they never got over in childhood,” Thornton said. “I just want people to know that it’s okay, it’s okay to confide in a minister, or it’s okay to seek out therapists to try to help you deal with some of that. I cannot imagine carrying something like this for 40 to 50 years, like people are doing.”
After the screening, “Jesus’ Love Brought Me Back” will be available for various churches to show to their congregations, Thornton added. The short film, like each of her previous films, plays and books, was designed to be family-friendly and doesn’t include any vulgarity or profanity despite dealing with difficult topics.
“Jesus’ Love Brought Me Back” premieres at 3:30 p.m. on May 17 at P30, 3039 N. Post Road. The event will feature a screening of the short film followed by a Q&A with Thornton and the cast. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
For more information or to reserve tickets, email Delores Thornton at Delores910@yahoo.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
