A family heirloom and troubled history is at the center of a brewing storm in the Charles household as two siblings grapple with the dynamics of trauma, identity and transcendence to begrudgingly, and literally, fight their demons.
Coming to Netflix on Nov. 22, “The Piano Lesson,” adapted from the August Wilson play and directed by Malcolm Washington, explores the intersections of faith and legacy in shaping a family’s bloodline.
The film’s plot and themes, after a screening at Burke Theatre in Northwest, D.C. on Nov. 12, provoked a deep analysis on the foundation of spirituality in African American culture.
“Most Black people have a hyper-sense of spirituality. Rhythm and spirituality is indoctrinated to who we are,” the Rev. Ty Jones, assistant to the pastor for Young Adults at Alfred Street Baptist Church, during the post-screening discussion. “In a world that pushes individualism to the degree that it does for Black people, I think it is especially important that we remember the entire meta narrative of what God may be doing in the world, and how we line up with that.”
In addition to Jones, the post-screening panel featured: Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, dean of Howard University Divinity School; the Rev. Denzel Goodlin, assistant to the pastor for Youth at Alfred Street Baptist Church; and the Rev. Cece Jones-Davis, a social justice and faith leader, who moderated the conversation.
Based on August Wilson’s 1987 play, “The Piano Lesson,” follows two siblings, Berniece and Boy Willie, played by Danielle Deadwyler and John David Washington, who are divided over the fate of their shared inheritance— a piano cultivated from a history of oppression and resilience.
The screenplay serves as a tribute to ancestry and Wilson’s legacy, leaving audiences wrestling with introspective themes surrounding faith and familial values, starting with how lineage contributes to who a person is overall. In his directorial debut, Malcolm Washington, son of executive producer and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, reveals the realities of African American hardship: from passing down trauma, to resisting oppression, to challenging gender roles, to struggles with grief and sibling rivalries.
“Boy Willie’s plight felt like much of my own, while I shared Berniece’s sensibilities and understanding of the gravity of legacy,” said Malcolm Washington in a director’s statement.
A family story in itself, “The Piano Lesson” is much Washington’s own family contributed mightily in the creation of the movie. His brother stars as Boy Willie, his sister plays a young version of Berniece’s mother Mama Ola, and his father served as executive producer for the film.
“Every family has a history, stories from the past that inform the present; an origin story… Ultimately this story is much bigger than me and my family — it, like the Black American experience, is an interconnected web of stories that span space and time,” said the director, whose father famously starred in and directed a film adaptation of Wilson’s “Fences.” “I hope that when audiences experience our film, they see themselves on the screen and hear the voices of their ancestors calling to them, offering peace and protection.”
The Intersection Between Spiritual and Religious Traditions, Examining Family Trauma and Faith
One of the most compelling elements of the storyline, and how it plays out on screen, is the inclusion of paranormal activity and spiritual conflict that drives the story.
“The Piano Lesson” examines religion and faith traditions, while integrating cultural practices like calling on ancestral spirits for guidance.
For Jones-Davis, this nod to the depths of Black faith culture showcased an underrepresented aspect of the relationship between spiritual and religious beliefs, particularly within Christianity.
“Christianity is not this straight line…it’s always been a mixture of people’s ideas and imaginations around faith. Coming from the South, I really wish we would speak about this more, because in our families, in our everyday lives, we know that this is reality,” she said. “We know the Bible…but at home, we know that Granny saw Great Grandmama and had a conversation and all these kinds of things, and that those things are not new and…are not strange among us. But for some reason, they have been very detached from the Christian faith.”
When asked about the role of faith in overcoming generational trauma, Jones candidly shared his own experience with estranged paternal relationships in his family, and the desire to “become the man he aspires to be” by extending forgiveness and grace to his predecessors.
Meanwhile, Gilbert emphasized the key is eliminating shame and embracing “the opportunity to walk into another kind of freedom.”
Jones-Davis, in tune with the film, emphasized the necessity of a strong support system that extends beyond religious practices.
“I think a lot of times we have dealt with trauma [by] just trying to over-spiritualize everything. I believe in the power of God, trust me, but there is a place for Jesus and therapy,” Jones-Davis told The Informer. “To address generational curses, there really does have to be a marriage of faith and reason…Faith and therapy, faith and the work of the mind, the heart and the work of the Spirit. We’ve tried so hard sometimes to detach these things when really we are multi-layered people in one manifestation, and we don’t address all of those layers.”
