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‘The Piano Lesson’ explores U.S. history with racism, generational trauma

The film centers on a family who owns an heirloom piano that is intricately carved with the faces and stories of their enslaved ancestors.

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Yong Chavez

TFC News

<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CJvirJE4bB0?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>August Wilson’s &quot;The Piano Lesson&quot; offers a haunting reflection of America&#x27;s dark history of racism, the weight of generational trauma, and the struggle for healing.Set in 1936, it centers on a family who owns an heirloom piano that is intricately carved with the faces and stories of their enslaved ancestors.John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler bring Wilson’s complex themes of family legacy, identity, and resilience to life.“The Piano Lesson” also stars Samuel L. Jackson, who played Boy Willie in the original stage production in 1987.Boy Willie is headstrong and driven by a desire to sell the family’s piano to buy the land his ancestors once worked as slaves to forge a new future for himself.In the Netflix film, Washington inherits this lead role.&quot;This was a personal film to me,” said Washington. “In a lot of ways, I had a lot on the line for me, just as far as who I want to be as an artist, who I believe I can be as an artist, and who I believe I should be as a human being.”In playing Berniece, a woman wrestling with the pain and legacy embodied by the piano, Deadwyler brings to the role a lifetime of connection to Wilson’s storytelling.&quot;I’ve been engaging with August Wilson’s work since I was a child,” she shared, adding it is part of her artistic rearing. “Those rhythms shape how I think [and] talk, and what kind of artist I want to be.”“There’s something profound in seeing Black voices bring his work to life, in seeing ourselves reflected through his words,” Deadwyler added.The movie is directed by Malcolm Washington, John David’s brother. Their father, legendary actor Denzel Washington, and their sister Katia are among its producers.The filmmaker dedicated the movie to their mother, Pauletta, to honor the Black women who fight for and uphold family stories and legacy across generations.“The Piano Lesson” is now playing in U.S. theaters and will be on Netflix on Nov. 22.

The film centers on a family who owns an heirloom piano that is intricately carved with the faces and stories of their enslaved ancestors.

In ‘The Piano Lesson,’ America’s history with racism, trauma and healing

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In ‘The Piano Lesson,’ America’s history with racism, trauma and healing

Yong Chavez,

TFC News

Published November 15, 2024 09:35 PM PHT

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