Movie Review Summer of Soul

I absolutely love music and documentaries. I was so excited to receive information to share with you for this movie review of Oscar nominated documentary feature Summer of Soul. In the summer of 1969, the Harlem Cultural Festival took over Mount Morris Park in the New York City borough of Harlem. You’ll see footage that has not been seen in 50 years. It’s an incredible documentary that everyone must watch. Add Summer of Soul to your movie collection on Digital and DVD February 8, and watch it on Disney+.

The first thing that impacted me about this documentary film was that it shows the splendor and beauty of the black community in color. I was born in 1980 and footage I’ve seen from events that pertained to the black community, it’s been shown mostly in black and white footage. There is some footage that is shown in black and white, but for the most part, this amazing film is in color. Lately I’ve seen a lot of memes about Black History that say, something along the lines of when it’s shown in color you realize that this was only a few decades ago.

This is an important documentary for all to see and hear some of the music that is sampled in music and commercials we hear and see now. Seeing a young Reverend Jesse James, calling for the chant, “Black is beautiful” and everyone in the crowd being loud and proud. It’s an important documentary that not only shows the struggles of the black community but shares how artists of that era helped bring awareness to issues of racism around the world on minorities. I’m so happy I saw this documentary.

The Harlem Cultural Festival Summer of Soul movie review on candypo.com lifestyle entertainment

My Favorite Thing

Besides the music, all of the background information on how the festival came about and who all supported it. The musical acts and the interviews are fantastic. If you are an Aquarius, you’ll get to learn about The 5th Dimension. The footage itself is absolutely incredible, I think the fact that it’s in color and showed so many beautiful people enjoying themselves. Unlike Woodstock, which was about 100 miles away that same summer- this festival showed food vendors, families with children of all ages enjoying the music together, a truly beautiful sight.

Okay for Kids

Absolutely. I think it’s good for elementary school aged children ages 8 and on. It does include images of riots from the 60’s and talks about the assasinations of Malcom X, Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, but what better opportunity to speak to your children about the damage that come with hate and racism. The film also talks about drug use in the black community and shows images, again another opportunity to open the conversation about the dangers of drugs with your family.

Film Rating

The film is rate PG-13* For disturbing images, smoking and brief drug material, as noted above.

About The Movie

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.

Watch the Trailer

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.