Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut, kicked off the Sundance 2021 Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary category and brought to screen incredible never-before-seen performance footage from the iconic Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, dubbed the Black Woodstock. Sundance Review: ‘Summer of Soul,’ Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Directorial Debut
In the summer of 1969 Harlem New York was struggling. The community was plagued with a growing heroine epidemic and unemployment, while boarded up black and brown-owned businesses lined the avenues, and black and brown sons were dying fighting an unnecessary war in Vietnam. Harlem and its people needed uplifting and music was the answer. That summer, Harlem’s Mount Morris Park hosted an epic concert series known as the Harlem Cultural Festival and attracted a stunning and unforgettable roster of prolific artists. The festival was filmed, but after it was over, the footage sat in a basement for 50 years. Until now, thanks to legendary musician “Questlove” producer, DJ, drummer, music historian, and now, director. In ‘Summer of Soul,’ Questlove presents a transporting documentary—part concert film, part historical record, which memorializes a significant era of African American music and cultural history with rich, funky 60’s soul, jazz, gospel, blues, and Afro Caribbean music, while showing the perspective of a community brought together by the love and healing power of music made by people who looked like them.
“I knew this film was my destiny, ‘cause once I saw the footage, I just lit up… and knew I had to tell this story,” said Questlove about the project. The documentary also includes contemporary interviews with spectators, artists and luminaries who were there, like Sheila E., Gladys Knight, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, to assist in telling this story.
“I knew something very, very important was happening in Harlem that day [when we performed]. It wasn’t just about the music. We wanted progress. We wanted our people to lift us up,” said Gladys Knight in “Summer of Soul.”
The performances shown in the documentary are riveting, flawless and well-shot. I was up dancing and singing along in front of my screen. I got chills watching a 19-year old Stevie Wonder (who had only 2 hit songs at the time), an up-and-coming Motown group called Gladys Night and the Pips, a solo David Ruffin, a soul-rousing impromptu duet from Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples that had me standing up and testifying, and even a performance by a little known funk band called Sly and the Family Stone in full costume with white and female band-members, which was unheard of at the time. The band initially received a lukewarm response from festival attendees that didn’t know what to make of their psychedelic r&b approach to music, but it soon became clear that generation had evolved in black music. In a star-studded line up, legend after legend took the stage, from Nina Simone, to Hugh Masekela, B.B. King, Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto, Herbie Mann, The Fifth Dimension, The Edwin Hawkins Singers and comedy from Mom’s Mabley.
Held at the same time as Woodstock, 100 miles away, Harlem’s Cultural Festival was created to celebrate black music and restore black pride, after a series of turbulent years. With more than 300,000 spectators in attendance, the documentary shows viewers a slice of 1969, showcasing not just the music, but the brilliant and flashy colors, style, fashion, hairstyles, and the rich history, culture and feel of that time. If you are a lover of music from the 60s and 70s, you will love this documentary. Watching this was so much fun. Being there in person must have been so incredible.
Director: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Producers: David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel
Executive producers: Jen Isaacson, Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick, Jody Allen, Ruth Johnston, Rocky Collins, Jannat Gargi, Beth Hubbard, Davis Guggenheim, Laurene Powell Jobs, Jeffrey Lurie, Marie Therese Guirgis, David Barse, Ron Eisenberg, Sheila Johnson, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Director of photography: Shawn Peters
Editor: Joshua L. Pearson
Sales: Cinetic Media
117 minutes
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