Trailer: Questlove’s “Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary SUMMER OF SOUL — part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten–until now. Questlove introduced the first trailer for the film on April 25, 2021, during the 93rd Academy Awards, for which he served as music director. (Scroll down to watch the trailer.)
SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more.
Footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was shot and later placed in a basement, where it sat for about 50 years unpublished. Questlove expressed surprise that the footage sat for so long, as music had a large impact on his life and development, stating “What would have happened if this was allowed a seat at the table? How much of a difference would that have made in my life? That was the moment that extinguished any doubt I had that I could do this.”
SUMMER OF SOUL premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. It will stream on Hulu in conjunction with Disney General Entertainment’s BIPOC Creator Initiative; Searchlight Pictures will release it theatrically on July 2, 2021.