Movie Review – Summer of Soul: When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised

Now available on DVD and digital is the musical documentary, Summer of Soul: When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised. I am not sure if it’s available on Blu-ray (I couldn’t find information on that).

Summer of Soul is a documentary about a concert series that was performed in New York City back in the summer of 1969. Sadly, not too many people are aware of that concert series because it wasn’t fully televised (only a tiny fraction was aired on public television). It never got the attention that Woodstock received.

I never heard about this at all. Growing up I heard a lot about Woodstock (I also grew up near Woodstock), but nothing about the Harlem Culture Festival, which this documentary is all about. After watching this, it makes me sad that this didn’t receive the same attention as Woodstock. Major recording artists performed at it.

Here is the official film synopsis.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—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 largely forgotten–until now. 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 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.

This film is fitting for February, seeing as how it’s Black History Month, and this is certainly a part of black history.

It’s sad that no one outside of New York ever heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival. In fact, I lived in New York my entire life, but upstate and in the suburbs of New York City and “I” never heard of it either. However, I’ve heard all about Woodstock my entire life.

The funny thing is, the Harlem Cultural Festival that year had approximately 300,000 people in attendance, and Woodstock had approximately 500,000. As you can see, the Harlem Cultural Festival was a big deal at that time.

This film is a mix of everything, from great music, to interviews with those who were in attendance, including some of the musical talent that played at the festival, including Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight. It was interesting to get their take on the festival, and what it was like to play it.

This film also provides viewers with some interesting historical facts about that period in time.

I loved seeing the fashions from back then, both on the attendees as well as the performers. I think about musical acts today and think to myself that those fashions would never work with today’s audiences.

To be honest, I never even heard about this film until this week. Admittedly, on the surface it would seem like something that wouldn’t be of much interest to me (in all fairness, I really don’t have an interest in a Woodstock documentary either), however, I am very glad that I received a screener to see this film. In the end, I am glad that I watched it. I found it fascinating and I enjoyed the music.

This film has an awesome soundtrack. I would purchase it or add the songs to my streaming music service playlists.

There are some bonus features for this film as well.

• Audio Commentary – View the film with audio commentary by director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.
• Soul Searching – A behind-the-scenes look at Summer of Soul. We’ll learn about where the footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival has been, how it was uncovered, and why director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson decided to tell this story now.
• Harlem: Then & Now – We revisit Mount Morris Park, location of the Harlem Cultural Festival. We learn how the neighborhood was a crossroads of culture and precarious politics and explore why Summer of Soul is so relevant during this present time of great political upheaval.

Look for Summer of Soul: When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised on digital platforms, as well as on DVD where ever movies are sold.

Be sure to check out the film on social media.

Twitter: @summerofsoul

Facebook: @SummerOfSoulMovie

Instagram: @summerofsoulmovie

#SummerOfSoulMovie

Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment. The trailer says “in theaters,” but the film is no longer in theaters. It’s only on digital and DVD.

 

Kimberly

*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.