Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’ documentary gets official release date

Questlove has announced the release date for his upcoming documentary “Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).”

The musician’s acclaimed documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival will be hitting theaters and Hulu on July 2, according to Rolling Stone.

“It’s a music documentary like no other, because while it’s a joyful, cataclysmic, and soulfully seductive concert movie, what it’s really about is a key turning point in Black life in America,” Questlove told Variety.
More than 300,000 gathered for six Sundays in Harlem’s Mt. Morris Park to celebrate soul, gospel, funk and the Black identity.

With over 40 hours of film, television veteran Hal Tulchin shopped the original footage around to networks and Hollywood producers with no luck up until his death in 2017.

“Summer of Soul” features never-before-seen concert performances by legendary artists Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight and more. According to the documentary, the concert went largely unnoticed, despite the level of talent that performed.

Making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in February, “Summer of Soul” won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary category.

“It has always been a dream of mine to direct films and telling this story has truly been an amazing experience,” Questlove told Rolling Stone. “I am overwhelmed and honored by the reception the film is receiving.”