OWN’s forthcoming film Song & Story: Amazing Grace is a movie about sisterhood. The spiritual song and lyrics serve as the foundation for this original film with themes of love, faith, family, friendship, and forgiveness.

Bresha Webb stars as Tanner, a talented street artist battling demons who forms an unlikely friendship with Iris, portrayed by Getenesh Berhe, a local store owner who unsuspectedly lends Tanner a helping hand. The two discover that will their paths are intertwined, and a surprising connection is revealed.

Both women wanted to take part in the film because of the spotlight on puts on Black women and their support of one another. “It was a really beautiful story about womanhood and how women take care of each other through all phases of their lives,” Berhe told Shadow and Act in a recent interview. “I thought it was a really beautiful example of maternal love and familial love and love between friends.”

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Webb echos similar sentiments, adding that her role of Tanner was a role she’d never played prior on film. “I was really intrigued by the character and the heart of the story,” she said. “Knowing that it was a touching story to inspire people to look beyond themselves, inward, and also reach out and inspire people to look back and talk about sisterhood and friendship.”

The Christian hymn “Amazing Grace” is more than just part of the title in the film. Throughout the film, the song serves as an echo and backdrop as both Webb and Berhe’s characters reflect on different moments of their lives. When asked how the song is intricate to the film, Berhe says the themes of the song went beyond just the plot. She explained:

She says, “It trickled into the way we worked on this project together. There were so many people who said out loud, ‘I’m here for a reason.’ Even for me to meet Bresha, I was asking her tons of questions all the time and she was giving me advice all the time and she looked at me and said, ‘Maybe that’s part of the reason why I’m here to meet you because a lot of Black women before me have guided me and cared for me on this journey so that’s why I’m here, I might be here for you…I think this movie became a mission to fulfill the definition of God’s grace.”

Tanner goes on a rollercoaster of emotions, teetering between her past and the opportunities of her present which sometimes disappoints those who try to help her. But in the end, she learns to forgive, not just what’s been done to her – but also the not-so-great ways she’s shown up in the world. For Webb, that’s the overall message she wants viewers to take away after watching.

Song & Story: Amazing Grace airs on OWN on Dec. 22, right in time for Christmas. The film also stars gospel legend Karen Clark-Sheard.

Catch the full interview with Webb and Berhe where they speak more about how art imitates life in the movie and why it’s appropriate to premiere amid the holiday season. Shadow and Act also spoke with executive producer Dr. Holly Carter on working with the cast and takeaways from the project.

Karen Clark Sheard