Summer of Soul
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | |
---|---|
Directed by | Questlove |
Produced by |
|
Cinematography | Shawn Peters |
Edited by | Joshua L. Pearson |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 117 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $3.7 million[1][2] |
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is a 2021 American independent[3][4] documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut.[5][6] It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories. It had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. by Searchlight Pictures on June 25, 2021, before expanding and being released for streaming on Hulu the next weekend.
The film received acclaim from critics, with particular praise given to the restoration of the footage used. It won numerous awards, including Best Documentary Feature at the 6th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, where it won in all six categories in which it was nominated, Best Documentary at the 75th British Academy Film Awards, Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards,[7][8] and Best Music Film at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. It has been considered one of the best films of the 2020s and of the 21st century.[9][10]
Synopsis
The film examines the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place on six Sundays between June 29 and August 24 at Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in Harlem, using professional footage of the festival that was filmed as it happened, stock news footage, and modern-day interviews with attendees, musicians, and other commentators to provide historical background and social context. Despite its large attendance and performers such as Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, the 5th Dimension, the Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, Blinky Williams, Sly and the Family Stone, and the Chambers Brothers, the festival is much less well-known in the 21st century than is Woodstock (which took place on the same weekend as one of the days of the Harlem Cultural Festival), and the filmmakers investigate this, among other topics.
Production
At the request of festival organizer and host Tony Lawrence, television producer Hal Tulchin recorded about 40 hours of footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival on videotape,[11] excerpts from which were packaged as two one-hour TV specials that were broadcast in 1969, one on CBS in July, and one on ABC in September.[12] The tapes were then placed in a basement,[13] where they sat for the next 50 years.[14] Tulchin attempted to interest broadcasters in the recordings for several years, but had little success, though some of the footage of Nina Simone was eventually used in documentaries about her.[15]
In 2004, Joe Lauro, a film archivist at the Historic Films Archive, discovered the existence of the footage and contacted Hal Tulchin, hoping to work on a film about the festival. He digitized and cataloged the footage[16] and, in 2006, entered into a deal with Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville to make the film,[11] but the project never saw the light of day, as Tulchin discontinued his agreement with Lauro.[16] Producer Robert Fyvolent, who had originally sought to work with Lauro, then acquired film and television rights to the footage from Tulchin.[17][18] Fyvolent began collaborating with producer David Dinerstein in 2016, and together they engaged RadicalMedia and editor Josh Pearson, and added a third producer, Joseph Patel.[19]
Director Ahmir Thompson has expressed surprise that the footage sat for so long, and that he had never heard of the festival before the producers approached him about making the film.[20] Discussing its obscurity, he said: "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."[21]
Release
The film premiered on January 28, 2021, at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the US Documentary Competition.[22] It was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu, and was released in the United States at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles and the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9 multiplex in New York City on June 25, 2021, before expanding nationwide and being released for streaming on Hulu the next weekend.[23] The film was set to be distributed internationally in theaters and on Disney+ Hotstar on July 30, 2021, and on Disney+ and Star+ on November 19, 2021,[24][25] and was made available on the U.S. version of Disney+ on February 8, 2022, in time for Black History Month.[26] It made its broadcast television premiere on ABC on February 20, 2022.[27] On February 8, 2022, 20th Century Studios released a hard copy on Standard Definition DVD. In a bonus feature interview, Thompson mused about expanding the film with the wealth of material he had to cut for time.
On April 22, 2021, it was announced that Thompson would introduce the first trailer for the film during the 93rd Academy Awards, for which he served as music director. The trailer debuted on April 25, 2021.[28]
Reception
Box office
Summer of Soul grossed $2.3 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $1.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $3.7 million.[1]
In the film's first weekend in wide release, it grossed $650,000 from 752 theaters (for a per-venue average of $865).[29]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 99% (based on 220 reviews), with an average rating of 9.1/10; the website's critics consensus reads: "Deftly interweaving incredible live footage with a series of revealing interviews, Summer of Soul captures the spirit and context of a watershed moment while tying it firmly to the present."[30] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 96 out of 100 (based on 38 critics), indicating "universal acclaim".[31] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" average grade.[29]
Rolling Stone praised the film as "the Perfect Movie to Kick Off Sundance 2021" and said it was "an incredible, vital act of restoration—and reclamation".[32] The Guardian gave it five stars, writing that there is "a moment so striking and rich with power at the center of Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson's Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) that, while watching it, I actually forgot to breathe."[33]
British critic Mark Kermode called the film "the best music documentary I've ever seen" in his review for Kermode and Mayo's Film Review on BBC Radio 5 Live.[34]
Awards and nominations
Soundtrack
On January 21, 2022, Legacy Records released an official soundtrack album.[70] In an interview, Thompson said he considered including songs not in the film, but decided to stick with the music that had already been cleared for release.[71] The digital version of the soundtrack contains 17 songs, while the physical version contains 16, as it does not feature Abbey Lincoln's and Max Roach's performance of "Africa".
Home media
On February 8, 2022, the film was released on Standard Definition DVD by 20th Century Studios. Bonus features include audio commentary by Thompson, who muses about reediting a longer version that would include footage he had to cut for time, and two behind-the-scenes featurettes ("Soul Searching" and "Harlem: Then & Now").[72]
See also
- Monterey Pop (1968)
- Gimme Shelter (1970)
- Festival (1967)
References
- ^ a b "Summer of Soul (2021)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ^ "Summer of Soul (2021)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ Indie Film Series: Summer of Soul - Sun Journal Events
- ^ Indie Prof: "The Rescue" and "Summer of Soul"|Front Porch
- ^ MUBI
- ^ Greene, Bryan (June 2017). "This Green and Pleasant Land". Poverty and Race Research Action Council. Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
- ^ "The 94th Academy Awards (2022)". oscars.org. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- ^ 'Summer of Soul' Wins Best Documentary Feature|94th Oscars
- ^ "Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 50 Best Films of the 21st Century (So Far)". The Hollywood Reporter. 6 April 2023.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (18 July 2021). "Summer of Soul review – the best concert film ever made?". The Observer.
- ^ a b Morgan, Richard (2007-02-01). "The Story Behind the Harlem Cultural Festival Featured in 'Summer of Soul'". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ^ Gaunt, James (2021-12-21). "Who Is Tony Lawrence?". The Shadow Knows. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
- ^ "Exclusive: Questlove On Directorial Debut 'Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)'". The Knockturnal. 2021-07-12. Archived from the original on 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
- ^ a b Minsker, Evan (2 February 2021). "Questlove's Summer of Soul Documentary Wins Sundance 2021 Grand Jury Prize". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Richard Sandomir, "Hal Tulchin, Who Documented a ‘Black Woodstock,’ Dies at 90", New York Times, September 14, 2017 Archived January 4, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 January 2022
- ^ a b Battaglio, Stephen (2021-08-19). "Meet the archivist who saved the historic footage that became 'Summer of Soul'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ^ Hal Tulchin, Who Documented a "Black Woodstock", Dies at 90 - The New York Times
- ^ Jackson, Jazz Tangcay, Angelique; Tangcay, Jazz; Jackson, Angelique (2021-01-28). "How Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' Tracked Down Rare Footage of the Landmark Harlem Cultural Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ AARP
- ^ Tannenbaum, Rob (2021-06-29). "Questlove celebrates 'Black joy' with 'Summer of Soul' doc". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
- ^ Lindahl, Chris (2021-02-02). "Questlove on Building 'Summer of Soul' Around Awe-Inspiring Musical Moments". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Goodman, Stephanie (2021-02-03). "Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' Wins at Sundance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (2021-02-05). "Searchlight Pictures and Hulu Pick Up Questlove's Sundance Winner 'Summer of Soul'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (5 February 2021). "Disney's Searchlight & Hulu Snag 'Summer Of Soul' Doc; Questlove's Directorial Debut Won Sundance Grand Jury Prize". Deadline. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
the music-themed documentary is set for a theatrical release as well as streaming on Hulu in the United States and internationally on Star and Star+
- ^ Disney+ Hotstar ID [@DisneyPlusID] (July 12, 2021). "Sebuah festival musik bersejarah yang belum pernah ditayangkan sebelumnya. Menampilkan Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, dan masih banyak lagi. Stream dokumenter spesial yang disutradarai @questlove, Summer of Soul, mulai 30 Juli di #DisneyPlusHotstarID!" [A historic music festival that has never been seen before, featuring Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, and many more. Summer of Soul, a special documentary film directed by @questlove, streaming July 30 on #DisneyPlusHotstarID!] (Tweet) (in Indonesian). Retrieved July 21, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ ""SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)" COMING SOON TO DISNEY+ (US)".
- ^ Carey, Matthew (10 February 2022). "ABC Gives Unprecedented Boost To Oscar-Nominated 'Summer Of Soul': Primetime TV Slot Ahead Of Academy Awards". Variety.
- ^ "'West Side Story' Trailer to Debut During Oscars Broadcast". TheWrap. 2021-04-22. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ a b Goldsmith, Jill (July 4, 2021). "Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' Sees $650K Three-Day Weekend Opener At Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ Fear, David (2021-01-29). "'Summer of Soul' Is the Perfect Movie to Kick Off Sundance 2021". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Summer of Soul review – thrilling documentary reveals a forgotten festival". the Guardian. 2021-01-29. Archived from the original on 2021-02-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Kermode, Mark (July 16, 2021). Vanessa Kirby, The Croods 2: A New Age, The Forever Purge and Summer of Soul. BBC. Event occurs at 1:22:50. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ "2021: 6th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards – Winners". Archived from the original on 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (December 2, 2021). "National Board of Review Winners 2021: 'Licorice Pizza' Takes Best Picture and Best Director". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ "Detroit Film Critics Society Announces 2021 Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. December 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
- ^ Eric, Anderson (December 4, 2021). "Washington DC Critics: 'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Vincent, Maxance (December 12, 2021). "2021 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards Announced". Awards Radar. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Current Winners — 2021 Awards — Boston Society of Film Critics". 27 July 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-11-21. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- ^ Tallerico, Brian (December 13, 2021). "West Side Story Leads the 2021 Chicago Critics Nominees". RogerEbert. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Shanfield, Ethan; Murphy, J. Kim (December 18, 2021). "'Drive My Car' and 'The Power of the Dog' Win Top Prizes at L.A. Film Critics Association Awards 2021 (Full List)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (20 December 2021). "The 2021 Dallas Fort-Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (December 15, 2021). "The 2021 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Nominations". NextBigPicture. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (December 10, 2021). "'The Power of the Dog, 'Passing' Lead Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award Nominations (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (January 7, 2022). "The 2021 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Nominations". NextBigPicture. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ Murray, Rebecca (7 January 2022). "San Diego Film Critics Society 2021 Nominees: Belfast Tops the List with 12 Nominations". ShowbizJunkies. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (January 4, 2022). "The 2021 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations". Next Big Picture. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (January 16, 2022). "The 2021 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners". Next Big Picture. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ ""The Power of the Dog" Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics. January 10, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Darling, Cary (January 3, 2022). "'The Power of the Dog' takes a bite out of Houston Film Critics Society's nominations". Preview. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (January 18, 2022). "The 2021 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Nominations". Next Big Picture. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (February 6, 2022). "The Power of the Dog Dominates London Critics' Circle Film Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ ""Harder" Makes It Look Easy with 20 Black Reel Award Nominations". Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (November 10, 2021). "'Flee' & 'Summer Of Soul' Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 27, 2022). "'Belfast,' 'King Richard,' 'No Time to Die' Among ACE Eddie Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 25, 2022). "Cinema Audio Society Nominations Set: 'Dune', 'Spider-Man', 'West Side Story' & More". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Long, Brent; Tangcay, Jazz (December 14, 2021). "Indie Spirit Awards 2022 Nominations (Updating Live)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan (February 20, 2022). "Vancouver Film Critics Circle: The Power of the Dog Leads With 5 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 26, 2022). "DGA Awards: 'Succession' Dominates Drama Series Nominees; 'Summer of Soul' and 'The Rescue' Up for Documentary Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 24, 2022). "'Dune' Leads Nominations for Golden Reel Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (2022-02-03). "BAFTA Awards Nominations: 'Dune' Leads Pack in Diverse List Full of Surprises". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-03.
- ^ Beresford, Trilby (February 22, 2022). "Dorian Film Awards: The Power of the Dog Leads Nominations From LGBTQ Entertainment Critics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Erik (December 1, 2021). "'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead 26th Satellite Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 27, 2022). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Licorice Pizza', 'Don't Look Up', 'Dune', 'King Richard' & 'CODA' Among Pics Vying For Marquee Prize". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (February 8, 2022). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards Show: Complete Nominations List". Grammy Awards. November 23, 2021. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ Peabody Awards
- ^ "'Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)' Soundtrack To Be Released January 21, 2022". Legacy Recordings. 2021-12-09. Archived from the original on 2022-01-30. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
- ^ NPR Music Listening Party: 'Summer of Soul' Soundtrack, archived from the original on 2022-01-29, retrieved 2022-01-30
- ^ Major, Michael. "SUMMER OF SOUL Sets DVD & Digital Release". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
Further reading
- "Parks and Recreation: Harlem at a Crossroads in the Summer of '69". Poverty & Race. Poverty and Race Research Action Council. June 2017.
External links
- For Questlove, The Pandemic Meant Embracing Quiet — And Buying A Farm July 21, 2021 radio interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air
- Summer of Soul at IMDb
- Summer of Soul at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2021 films
- 2021 documentary films
- 2021 independent films
- Documentary films about African Americans
- American documentary films
- Searchlight Pictures films
- Hulu original films
- Documentary films about music festivals
- Sundance Film Festival award-winning films
- Harlem Cultural Festival
- Collage film
- Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners
- 2021 directorial debut films
- Peabody Award-winning broadcasts
- 2020s English-language films
- 2020s American films