The Piano Lesson with Malcolm Washington and David E. Talbert (Ep. 508)

The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Directors Guild of America

Tv & Film

4.6 • 806 Ratings

🗓️ 5 December 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Director Malcolm Washington discusses his new film, The Piano Lesson, with fellow Director David E. Talbert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of expanding on a traditional play adaptation beyond the original text, searching for a “punchline” in the pacing of his editing, and shooting the film in sequence to allow his production to evolve in conjunction with the story. Based on the acclaimed play by August Wilson, the film navigates the lives and legacies of the Charles family. In the aftermath of the great depression, a brewing battle lurks over what to do with the family heirloom - a piano documenting the family history with carvings made by an enslaved ancestor. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/January2025/PianoLesson_QnA_1124

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think there's so much power in being naive.
0:03.4	You know, this.
0:04.1	It's like one of the greatest gifts is doing something for the first time.
0:08.0	When I started working on it, I'd never seen it before.
0:09.8	I'd only read it.
0:10.7	We were unburdened by the legacy of it a little bit.
0:13.3	So it was like it was all just, it was all just fabric that we could do what we wanted with.
0:18.5	And we could really adapt it.
0:20.7	And I thought that was so exciting.
0:22.0	So I think that working from that space
0:23.6	of feeling free and unburdened by it,
0:25.8	just kind of trying to tell your truth every day.
0:28.6	Like bring yourself to it every day.
0:30.9	And don't lie.
0:54.8	Yeah. Hello, and welcome back to the Director's Cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America.
1:03.7	In this episode, the fate of a treasured object threatens to tear a family apart in director Malcolm Washington's drama, The Piano Lesson.
1:10.6	Based on the acclaimed play by August Wilson, the film navigates the lives and legacies of the Charles family. In the aftermath of the Great Depression, a brewing battle lurks over what to do with the family heirloom,
1:16.6	a piano documenting the family history with carvings made by an enslaved ancestor.
1:22.6	The piano lesson is Washington's feature directorial debut.
1:29.7	Following a screening of the film at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles, Washington spoke with director David E. Talbert about filming the piano lesson.
1:39.5	Listen on for their spoiler-filled conversation.
1:51.0	Thank you. for their spoiler-filled conversation. What are you thinking of the film?
	...

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