Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)

★ 7.6 1h 57m 216 votes IMDb

During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

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Cast

Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder as Self Age 75 · Saginaw, Michigan, USA Stevland Hardaway Morris (né Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is widely regarded as one of the mo...
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Self - Artist Age 46 · Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA Lin-Manuel Miranda (/mænˈwɛl/; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton and the...
Chris Rock
Chris Rock as Self - Artist Age 61 · Andrews, South Carolina, USA Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all ti...
Tony Lawrence
Tony Lawrence as Self - Harlem Cultural Festival Producer & Host (archive footage) St. Kitts, British West Indies Tony Lawrence is an American singer and actor. Originally from St. Kitts, he moved as a child with his family to Virginia, and later New York City.
Nina Simone
Nina Simone as Self (archive footage) Died 2003 · Tryon, North Carolina, USA Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist who worked in a broad range of musical st...
B.B. King
B.B. King as Self (archive footage) Died 2015 · Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA Riley B. King, known as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and fluid, complex guitar playing.

Audience Reviews

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots 6/10 Mar 09, 2021
The times, they were a’changin’ in the summer of 1969, with many turning to music as a vehicle to help them express their feelings on important social and political issues. The most famous music festival of all time, Woodstock, has seen its concert footage shown the world over. That same year in New York, over 300,000 people attended the predominantly African-American concert series known as the Harlem Cultural Festival.

The filmed performances of some of the most important artists in black music history sat in a basement for five decades, only to finally be seen in “Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” a documentary by first-time director Ahmir-Khalib “Questlove” Thompson. This concert film is a cultural and historical treasure trove of American music that shines a light on black art and culture in the late Sixties.

For those who are seeking a well-rounded music education, this film is a must-see. The documentary makes extensive use of the never-before-seen footage, often letting the musical performances speak for themselves. Thompson weaves file footage and interviews with festival artists and attendees that share their stories on African-American popular culture. You can tell just how important the Harlem Culture Festival was to everyone involved, and some of the best clips in the film are shots of the faces in the crowds, all of them radiating pure joy.

Clocking in at two hours, the film could stand a little editing. Since he is a musician himself, I understand Thompson’s tendency to include as much of every single performance as possible, but the film suffers because of it and drags on a bit too long. But just as my interest would wane, I’d get drawn back in almost as quickly with an enthralling anecdote from the likes of Jesse Jackson or Marilyn McCoo, or a moving performance from talents like Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson.

“Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” is a stunning historical record that captures a moment in time when the stories of black America weren’t always told, and it lifts up their voices in the process.
badelf 8/10 Nov 18, 2022
In 1969, besides Woodstock, there was also an unknown Summer of Soul Festival in New York. More specifically, in Harlem. If you're a music buff (I am), this is a must-see film. It includes amazing performances that we would otherwise not have seen. Eclipsed by Woodstock, the recordings found no takers at the time and sat in a basement for 50 years. Unearthed by Questlove, and interlaced with pertinent interviews, the music speaks for film.

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