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'Washington Black': Why Sterling K. Brown, Tom Ellis, Ernest Kingsley Jr. show had to film in Halifax
The new show Washington Black (now on Disney+ in Canada, Hulu in the U.S.) explores the history of Black settlements in Halifax in the adaptation of Esi Edugyan acclaimed novel. Filmed in the Nova Scotia capital, starring Sterling K. Brown, Tom Ellis, Ernest Kingsley Jr., Rupert Graves and Iola Evans, the series follows George Washington 'Wash' Black, an eleven-year-old boy born on a Barbados sugar plantation, who ends up on a an adventurous journey of hope and freedom.
"I think what made the novel such an effective piece of work is that it has a core emotional DNA that's universal," creator, co-showrunner and executive producer, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, told Yahoo Canada. "People are always thinking about how to write a story that appeals to everyone, that gets to everyone, and I always say that you find universality in specificity."
"There's something, sure, that starts in a very specific place about Wash and his challenges and his journey, the way he finds light out of darkness. But as you move that micro out to macro, that's all of us. ... We're all looking for that light at the end of the tunnel."
Set in the 19th century, Wash develops an interest in science at a young age (first played by Eddie Karanja, later Ernest Kingsley Jr.), with inventor Christopher 'Titch' Wilde (Tom Ellis) taking him under his wing, becoming a mentor for Wash as they team up to create inventions, including a flying machine.
In the later timeline Wash is living as a free man in Halifax, quickly crushing on Tanna Goff (Iola Evans), born on the Solomon Islands and raised by her white father, played by Rupert Graves, after her mother's death when she was young.
"[They're both] discovering who they are, who you are told to be, versus who you feel you are inside," co-showrunner and executive producer, Kimberly Ann Harrison, said. "I think that we were able to explore that through [Tanna], in a different way."
"The stories really kind of mirrored each other, ... just through the female lens. I really think that was important, to ... be able to platform her story and show her struggle with identity. And eventually, stepping into her own shoes of what she wants."
Throughout the show's eight episodes, the audience is taken on a globe-trotting adventure through Wash's life.
"We have lots of influences, but I have two really big ones. One on the literary side is Jules Verne. ... And the other one, as a kid in the '70s and the '80s, is Spielberg," Hinds said.
"So in some ways Wash is sort of like those two worlds for me mashing together. And it was just a thrill to be able to find a project that allowed you to do that."
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There's something particularly compelling, unique and appealing about how Washington Black tells the story from a child's point of view, with Hinds highlighting that "children dream of the impossible."
"I think putting the story in a child's eyes gives you access to a kind of imagination, a kind of dreaming, just a kind of emotional resiliency that's different with an adult character," he said.
Additionally, there's a n impactful exploration of how Wash is impacted by the mentors in his life, but they learn from him as well.
"I think there's a lot that obviously Wash learned from his mentors, both in the past and present day, but at the same time a lot of these adults are learning life lessons from this child, from this enslaved child," Harrison said. "That's what really is special about this series."
Filming in Halifax: 'We couldn't have faked this anywhere else'
In order to have the authenticity required to effectively tell this story, Washington Black had to be filmed in Nova Scotia, while the crew behind the film also comitted to connecting with the local community.
"Authenticity is a word that we toss around a lot, and community. Even before we started rolling cameras in Halifax, we were there for months on the ground, just in pre-production," Hinds explained. "And during that time, were able to learn so much more about the history, learn so much more about the community, and go into the [Black Loyalist Heritage Centre] in Halifax. It was just an overwhelming, emotional experience, ... talking to people whose families have been there for hundreds of years."
"So we really try to infuse the real place into the show, and that's part of ... the effect it has when you watch it."
"We couldn't have faked this anywhere else," Harrison added. "This entire time in Halifax was a history lesson for me, in particular, and I just think that's what made it so special. And being authentic to the location and telling that story, I just think that's what brought it all together."
