Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Summer of Soul (... Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a vibrant archival music documentary chronicling the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a hugely popular series of outdoor concerts held in Harlem the same summer as Woodstock. Featuring riveting footage of never-before-seen performances by the leading Black artists of the age—Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, and more—Questlove’s film is nothing short of a sociopolitical love letter to Black music and movement. As an act of restoration and reclamation, Summer of Soul is an unapologetic tribute to Black artistry on the heels of a decade of civil rights and civil losses.
“It’s a music documentary like no other, because while it’s a joyful, cataclysmic, and soulfully seductive concert movie, what it’s really about is a key turning point in Black life in America.” - VARIETY
- Year2021
- Runtime120 minutes
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereVancouver
- DirectorAhmir “Questlove” Thompson
- Executive ProducerJody Allen, David Barse
- CinematographerShawn Peters
- EditorJoshua L. Pearson
Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Summer of Soul (... Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a vibrant archival music documentary chronicling the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a hugely popular series of outdoor concerts held in Harlem the same summer as Woodstock. Featuring riveting footage of never-before-seen performances by the leading Black artists of the age—Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, and more—Questlove’s film is nothing short of a sociopolitical love letter to Black music and movement. As an act of restoration and reclamation, Summer of Soul is an unapologetic tribute to Black artistry on the heels of a decade of civil rights and civil losses.
“It’s a music documentary like no other, because while it’s a joyful, cataclysmic, and soulfully seductive concert movie, what it’s really about is a key turning point in Black life in America.” - VARIETY
- Year2021
- Runtime120 minutes
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereVancouver
- DirectorAhmir “Questlove” Thompson
- Executive ProducerJody Allen, David Barse
- CinematographerShawn Peters
- EditorJoshua L. Pearson