Love, Forgiveness, and Donuts: Insights from the HBO-Selected Short Film “Chocolate with Sprinkles”
Article written by Kayla Corrine
Love consists of a multitude of paradoxes. It is a complicated thing, after all. The people who bring us the most happiness are often the ones who cause us the deepest hurt. And yet, we still continue to love. Why? Simply because, at its core, love is a craving—perhaps even a need—that many people seek to fulfill, despite the heartache that comes with it. When done right, love pushes us beyond our limits, compels us to evolve, and ultimately, to forgive.
Forgiveness, in the context of love, is one of the central themes beautifully captured in the HBO-selected short film Chocolate with Sprinkles, directed by Huriyyah Muhammad. Inspired by her parents’ story, the film follows a married couple who run a donut shop and are put in a particularly peculiar situation.-- For the first time in 25 years, they must confront the "holes" in their marriage, as their family’s future depends on it. I had the honor of sitting down with one of the film’s producers, Yhà Mourhia Wright, to dive deeper into Chocolate with Sprinkles (trailer here) and explore the concept of love and forgiveness.
Yhà Mourhia Wright producer, writer, CEO of Yhà Wright Productions
Yhà Mourhia Wright is a multifaceted creative, producer, author, and CEO of Yhà Wright Productions from San Jose, California. In 2023, she began serving as the Production Advisor for Black Girls Film Camp, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that teaches teenage girls how to tell their stories through film. When Yhà Mourhia was first approached to become a producer of Chocolate with Sprinkles she was initially drawn to how director Huriyyah Muhammad illustrated her parents' marriage story and the donut shop’s impact on their relationship. "There is such a curiosity about marriage and Black love that I’ve had—understanding how to get into it and how to stick with it." With the declining marriage rate and the rise of casual relationships in the U.S., long-term commitment doesn’t seem to be on as many people’s radars compared to just a few decades ago. It seems fewer people are entering not only marriages but committed relationships in general. Yhà Mourhia Wright has found this true for both her and the younger generation. "I hope people question their inclination to not want to commit, or their inclination to walk away when things get hard. I think there’s so much evolution of oneself that happens when we are mindfully in unity with someone else, whether that’s marriage or just a committed relationship."
A huge factor in persevering within any kind of relationship is the ability to forgive others. Chocolate with Sprinkles largely explores this theme through the father’s relationship with the donut shop versus his relationship with his family. While forgiveness is often a necessary practice for maintaining healthy relationships, it can also be one of the most challenging. But what if we make it harder than it needs to be? "I think one of the challenges with forgiveness is feeling like you have to rush it," Wright reflects. "I grew up in church, and for me, I used to see forgiveness as something you had to do immediately. And a lot of times, you don’t even feel the forgiveness. You might have the desire to, but you don’t really know how to integrate it." She continues, "Forgiveness is something I think is a process. Sometimes it’s quicker than others. Sometimes it takes a lot of processing—with therapy, with prayer, with spirituality."
Pent-up resentment and anger associated with unforgiveness can manifest in the body and negatively impact health. This alone reflects how forgiveness benefits the individual just as much, if not more than the person being forgiven. Chocolate With Sprinkles highlights the liberation of forgiving others through its complex family dynamic. Each character faces a crossroads where they must free themselves from the shackles of unforgiveness or continue to suffer. "Our choices and habits are often unprocessed unforgiveness, whether for others or for ourselves. It could be not taking care of your body, overeating, drinking too much, or even depression," Wright explains. "And that’s why grace for yourself is so important—to understand that forgiveness does take time."
Grace within forgiveness and love is another theme illustrated in Chocolate with Sprinkles. It’s easy to lose oneself amid love. As much as we are reminded to practice grace and forgiveness with others, it’s sometimes easy to forget to do the same for ourselves. The film is a gentle reminder to do just that—for others as well as for ourselves. "I hope people are just a bit more gracious. We live in this highly charged cancel culture. People just want to cancel everybody—their mama and their daddy, celebrities they don't know, their lovers, their friends," Wright notes. "And so I hope people take away a bit more grace and understanding. Yeah, just a little tenderness. A little tenderness."
In a world where both love and forgiveness seem fleeting, Chocolate with Sprinkles encourages us to approach others- and ourselves- with tenderness. After all, the paradox of love is that through its pain and challenges, we find room for growth, healing, and ultimately, grace.
Watch the Chocolate With Sprinkles trailer here! Follow Chocolate with Sprinkles on social media and see if the short film is screening at a festival near you to experience this powerful story for yourself!