SUMMER OF SOUL Trailer
A treasure trove of footage is on display in Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
Woodstock wasn’t the only festival taking place in the summer of 1969, even if that’s all history remembers. Close by another event took place over six weeks that combined politics, culture, and a hell of a lot of great music. The Harlem Cultural Festival was a huge event and it was filmed, but as so often happened, this important moment in Black history was swept under the rug and the footage was never released.
Until now. Questlove makes his feature-directing debut with a documentary about the festival, taking the footage that has sat unused and forming it into not only a musical event but a look at how such a massive, successful festival was essentially forgotten by history.
The centerpiece, though, will be the litany of musicians that graced the stage, which included Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and The 5th Dimension. You have to take a breath just listing all those acts, so imagine seeing them all condensed into one jam-packed documentary. It was more than enough to win over everybody at Sundance, where it racked up rave reviews and won the Audience Award (Documentary) and the Grand Jury Prize (Documentary). Now it’s finally coming out for all to see.
Summer of Soul is directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. It will be released in the US in theaters and on Hulu July 2nd, 2021. For international release dates, click here.
Will you check out this jam? Let us know in the comments!
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
