Interview: Malcolm Washington on the Fun of Making His Debut Film in ‘The Piano Lesson’

Making The Piano Lesson would be a tall task for anyone. Factor in that Malcolm Washington was making his filmmaking debut and the co-writer/director certainly had a big hill to climb. However, he managed to make it a family affair, with his father Denzel Washington (as well as his sister) producing, while he has his brother John David Washington as one of the leads. So, there’s a comfort clearly seen in his work as well, at least in part due to the comfort found on set. With the film streaming on Netflix, Washington and I spent some time on Zoom right after Thanksgiving to talk about the entire process. Today, that conversation comes your way.

In my review out of the Telluride Film Festival (here), I had the following to say about Washington:

Co-writer/director Malcolm Washington makes this a family affair. His father Denzel Washington is a producer, he’s directing an adaptation he co-wrote with Virgil Williams, and his brother John David is one of the leads. So, this clearly means a ton to him, elevating the Wilson play to the screen. In his casting choices, Washington is on point.

Below, you can hear my discussion with Washington. We talk about the movie from a few angles, with some of my curiosities involving working with his family, making the flick his own, and even utilizing his father’s experience or his brother’s football background when directing. He’s a very charming and earnest guy, so it’s an easy chat. Washington is going places, to be sure, so The Piano Lesson is very much a calling card that suggests big things ahead. If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s right there on Netflix for you, so give it a shot…

Here now is my interview with The Piano Lesson filmmaker Malcolm Washington. Enjoy:

The Piano Lesson is currently streaming on Netflix!