A true friendship can change people's lives. The well-known American jazz pianist and composer Don Shirley was well aware of it.
The same one who, only for being black, suffered the stark racism that prevailed in 1962 when he was touring the South of the United States, an experience portrayed in the remarkable film Green Book.
Elegant and discrete, he found an unlikely friendship with his newly hired driver on that trip, the very unrefined and disheveled Tony Lip, an Italian-American from the Bronx.
A change of life
This musician of Jamaican descent, and played by Mahershala Ali, also did not resemble most African-Americans, whose opportunities were even restricted by law.
He had become a virtuous pianist after studying music abroad and obtaining a PhD in Music, Psychology and Liturgical Arts. He was also a talented painter and was fluent in eight languages.
The tour throughout the South was a reality check for both him and his driver, played by Viggo Mortensen.
Two men who, while struggling with racial violence, create a unique bond, full of generosity, kindness and sense of humor.
