‘The Pianist of Willesden Lane’ is an uplifting tale of the power of music
“My name is Lisa Jura, and I’m 14 years old,” Mona Golabek says, her voice taking on a girlish lilt and a slight accent. “It’s Vienna, 1938, and it’s a Friday afternoon. I’m preparing for the most important hour of my week – my piano lesson.” But this week the lesson will not take place. And so begins “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” a true story of family, hope and survival told through the world’s most beautiful music.
Golabek is an American concert pianist, author and radio host. She has appeared with many leading orchestras and made numerous recordings. Based on the true story of Golabek’s mother, the film, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” is the inspirational recounting of Lisa Jura Golabek’s escape from Nazi-controlled Austria to England on the Kindertransport. A musical prodigy, Lisa Jura had a wonderful life in Vienna. When the Nazis began closing in on the city, life changed irreversibly.
Although he has three daughters, Lisa’s father is only able to secure one berth on the Kindertransport. The family decides to send Lisa to London so that she can pursue her dream of a career as a concert pianist. Separated from her beloved family, Lisa bravely endures the trip and a disastrous posting outside London before finding her way to the Willesden Lane Orphanage. It is there that Lisa’s story comes to life. Her music inspires the other children, and they, in turn, encourage her efforts to make good on her promise to her family to realize her musical potential.
Golabek was taught piano largely by her mother, who had learned to play from her own mother (Mona’s grandmother) Malka Jura. When asked in an interview whether she had had other piano teachers aside from her mother, Golabek answered, “I studied with several outstanding pianists, but my mother was my true teacher and inspiration.” In April 2012, Golabek was featured in a one-woman show, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane,” directed by Hershey Felder, which was filmed for all to learn from and enjoy.
Before she boarded the train in Vienna, Lisa’s mother told her, “Never stop playing, and I will be with you every step of the way.” Lisa took the words to heart. Spiritually speaking, her fingers never left the keys, because only through her music could she maintain a connection to the vanished happiness of her Vienna childhood. The resulting tale delivers a message of the power of music to uplift the human spirit and to grant the individual soul endurance, patience and peace.
Presented by the Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Laurelmead, 355 Blackstone Blvd., Providence. There will be a discussion after the film led by Paula Olivieri, education coordinator, Bornstein Holocaust Education Center. This event is free and open to the public.
LEV POPLOW is a communications and development consultant. He can be reached at levpoplow@gmail.com.
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