Summer of Soul, (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
Directed by: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Entertainers include: Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, B. B. King, The 5th Dimension, Mongo Santamaria, Max Roach, Nina Simone and many, many more!
Available on Disney+, Hulu (which has a free trial)
Documentary
The parenthetical in the title most likely refers to the Gil Scott-Heron poem and song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. In my interpretation, the song says that African Americans should stop wasting their time watching TV and become politically active.ABOUT THE MOVIE
The film documents The Harlem Cultural Festival, 1969 which took place on six Sundays at Mt. Morris Park in Harlem. It also takes a look at the news-making events that took place before and during the festival, and explores why the Festival was ignored for more than 50 years while the documentary, Woodstock, which took place that same summer, was hailed.
Summer of Soul… won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival; all categories for which it was nominated at the Critic’s Choice Documentary Awards; Best Documentary at the Academy Award; Best Music Film at the Grammy Awards and many more.