Summer of Soul

Editor's Take

Assembled from restored footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, Questlove's directorial debut recovers an event that shared a summer with Woodstock but slipped from the official record. It threads the performances together with recollections from those who attended, so the music never floats free of the neighborhood that produced it. The result functions as both concert film and act of historical retrieval, alert to why the footage sat unseen for so long.

Summer of Soul revives the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a landmark celebration of Black music and culture that unfolded the same summer as Woodstock yet was almost forgotten. Directed by Questlove, it pairs electrifying restored performances with the story of the community that gathered to witness them. The film restores a lost chapter of American music history. Joyful and moving, it is an unforgettable celebration. Free to watch in HD on Dr Documentary.

Courtesy of American Film Institute on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗

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