Disclaimer: The Fandads were provided with a digital copy of Summer of Soul in exchange for a review. All thoughts, opinions, and dancing to some great music are our own.
I have been a fan of the Roots since their first major debut album, Do You Want More?!!!??!. This album was so monumental that I bought their first independent album Organix which was had to get since it was released overseas. What I love about the Roots albums is the liner notes inside the albums. If you ever bought a Roots CD you will remember seeing all of the stories that Questlove would write about each of the songs. You can see the love and passion he had for music in those notes and they were always great to read
Flashforward to Questlove’s directorial debut “Summer of Soul” and you can see that same love and passion in the film. I highly recommend watching the movie with his commentary because the “jawns’ he drops are priceless. From talking about correcting the timing of the people clapping to the music to pointing out celebrity look-a-likes in the audience, the commentary is great to listen to.
You can really tell in each frame that Questlove wanted to use the footage that they found and show a festival that was forgotten about. While there are many festivals touring the countries (Maybe not such much recently), it is amazing to see one that had this quality of talent. Imagine going to a show and seeing Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Famliy Stone, Mahalia Jackson, Willie and Lester, and Jesse Jackson? The price would be insane and this show was free!
Summer of Soul is a documentary that you need to have in your collection. I just felt it was a little thin on the special features. As i stated before the commentary is fantastic, but with all of those hours of footage I felt like deleted or bonus scenes were missing from the DVD. I really hope they release an extended 4K version of the festival but we need to get this in the best picture and sound possible.
Quick notes: the Mahalia Jackson story is powerful. Hearing Jesse Jackson talking about the final night with Dr. Martin Luther King is haunting and also powerful. Question love shouts-out Guatemala when talking about the importance of latino bands representing at the festival. Also, the quick salute to J. Dilla when a band is playing a song that he sampled was heartwarming and hopefully will have more people looking into who J. Dilla was.
Final Thoughts: It is always great to learn about events that you did not know existed. This documentary brings to light on the Harlem Cultural Festival that people need to see and enjoy with their family. I just wish there was a 4K version of the event.
Kid-Friendly: Yes. I don’t remember hearing any curse words but this is a great show to watch with your kids.
Violence: No. There is some talk about the violence that went on before this festival and with the assination of Dr. Martin Luther King but nothing too violent for children.
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and Summer of Soul stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. Add Summer of Soul to your movie collection on Digital and DVD February 8.
Summer of Soul premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. The acclaimed documentary has won the AFI Special Award and continues to sweep critics groups across the nation, including 6 wins at the Critics Choice Awards, and Best Documentary awards with NBR and LAFCA. The film is also nominated for the PGA and Spirit Awards.
It is streaming on Hulu in conjunction with Disney General Entertainment’s Onyx Collective; Searchlight Pictures released it theatrically.
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.
Bonus Features*
• 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.
*bonus features vary by product and retailer