The Piano Lesson: Malcolm and John David Washington launch film

Daughter Berniece (Deadwyler) has not played the piano since the siblings’ mother died. Instead, it sits in her living room and serves as a reminder of what her ancestors endured as slaves.

The faces of earlier generations of the family have been carved into the piano’s wood. But while Berniece refuses even to move the piano, her brother Boy Willie (John David Washington) wants to sell it in order to buy land.

Speaking at Deadline’s Contender’s London event,, external John David Washington described the cast and production team’s attitude as “fearless”.

“It was so fearless because, right away, we were like, OK, we’re making our film,” he said. “There’s a lot of versions of this story that exist, and this one is ours.

“We’re going to pass it through our filter of honesty and truth and vulnerability, put ourselves on the line, and fine-tune it to the point that, when you get to the end, the spirit of it is still there.”