Summer Night Cinema: "Summer of Soul"
- to This is a past program
Tuesdays this summer, make a night of it at the Hammer with after hours gallery access, drinks and bar bites at Lulu, and free film screenings. Galleries will be open until the films begin at 7:30 p.m.
Screening: "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)"
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, 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.
The film won scores of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and a Grammy for Best Music Film.
