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

2021

Questlove

Documentary, Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Nina Simone ...

7.6

1,536

Documentary Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a feature documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African American music and culture, and promoted Black pride and unity.

	Media	Author	Review
		Owen Gleiberman Variety	"It’s a music documentary like no other, because while it’s a joyful, cataclysmic, and soulfully seductive concert movie, what it’s really about is a key turning point in Black life in America."
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"The performances are often revelatory, but the sense of history coming alive — of the past speaking to the present — is even more riveting."
		Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"The result is deeply felt on both sides of the timeline, drawing clear parallels between two galvanizing historical periods, then and now (...) [It] is as thoughtful as it is rousing"
		Leah Greenblatt Entertainment Weekly	"Thrilling, illuminating, and fascinating (...) It's the visceral thrill of being inside all those archival clips (...) that makes 'Summer of Soul' come most fully alive"
		Steve Pond The Wrap	"It’s a vibrant document of an inspiring event that never loses sight of what that event meant for a community, a city and a culture."
		Tambay Obenson IndieWire	"[It] captures the legacy of forgotten 'Black Woodstock' (...) Many of the performances are top-notch, and a handful are just spectacular"
		Odie Henderson rogerebert.com	"Not only does Questlove give us a concert film, we get a history lesson, too (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Whelan Barzey Empire	"Sonically flawless, authentically textured and deep-rooted in cultural significance, 'Summer Of Soul' succeeds in capturing the scale, spiritual resonance and soul of the festival (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		A. O. Scott The New York Times	"[It] blew me away (...) It does capture some absolutely mesmerizing musical performances (...) but it anchors them in a vivid and complicated tableau of politics, culture and city life."
		Mark Kermode The Guardian	"Questlove’s magnificent documentary of the forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural festival gives moving context to rediscovered footage of Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone et al in their prime (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

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