In the promotion for the recently unearthed footage of the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place across the summer of 1969, it’s become popular to refer to it as the “Black Woodstock”, whereby not only did it occur concurrently to the iconic festival that was taking place not too far away, but also the array of talented musicians and public figures that appeared on that stage in Harlem over that concert series could rival any other assortment of entertainers. This is the foundation from which Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) is formed, with director Ahmir Thompson, better known as modern-day renaissance man and musician Questlove, taking footage filmed over half a century ago, which had been previously unseen by anyone since the late 1960s when it was placed in a basement to be stored for later use, which never came to fruition, and turning it into one of the most insightful and powerful documentaries of recent years. Whatever impelled the first-time director to venture out of his comfort zone, and embrace filmmaking clearly meant a lot to him, because the final product is something absolutely spellbinding. A good documentary doesn’t only convey the deep and intricate nuances of its chosen subject, but it adds more to the peripheral conversations, and Questlove doesn’t waste even the slightest moment in developing what is essentially a poignant portrait of American culture, plucked directly from the source, showing us a few days in the life of a country that gathered together to celebrate music out in the hot sun of the Harlem summertime – and the conversations incited in the process are nothing short of stunning, especially in how the director frames each moment as undeniably essential.

Summer of Love is a film about many ideas, much more than just being a documentary centred on a mildly interesting music festival that many of us may not have known had happened had Questlove and his cohorts not worked meticulously to bring it to the screen. This is a film about, at its most fundamental and simple definition, America. The Harlem Cultural Festival wasn’t just an excuse for many New Yorkers (and those from other corners of the country that had an active interest in the music of the era) to descend on Mount Morris Park for a few hazy afternoons of good music – it was a firm celebration of what artistic expression means. This is a film about American history, black culture and defiance in a film of radical civil change, all filtered through the lens of the most soulful, exhilarating music anyone of us are likely to ever encounter. Any film that boasts the likes of Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, The 5th Dimension and a myriad of other iconic artists, as part of its central cast of characters, is bound to be something special – and it’s only made better by the fact that it each one of these individuals have something to say. A great documentary is one that gives the subjects the opportunity to speak for themselves – whether it be through archival footage of their performance or through hearing their own voices reflecting back on their time at the festival – while still compelling the viewer to learn more about them, and one of the few challenges that come with this film is that we become so invested in the story of the festival, we may begin to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content presented to us, with the sensation that we can never hope to dive as deep into this world and uncover all the enigmatic secrets harboured by this fascinating moment in the past.

It’s not often that we find a documentary that is so impactful, its very existence warrants an inclusion into the Smithsonian Institute for future historical safe-keeping, but Summer of Soul earns it without even a moment’s hesitation. As much as this sounds like an exaggeration, it couldn’t be further from reality. The images thrown across our screens – colourful, vibrant and brimming with life – are of notable historical importance, and the only disappointment that comes with this film is that Questlove had to trim dozens of hours of footage to fit into two hours of filmmaking, when any logical individual would want to see absolutely every moment of this festival. The fact that we have access to so much of what was clearly an important moment at the time, but sadly obscured by time and the lack of attention received at the time as a historical event, seems like a major step forward, not only for devotees of this particular era of music history, but for anyone who has even the slightest interest in American culture from a time when it was at its most socially and politically-charged. It affords us the opportunity to see and experience the world from an entirely new viewpoint, one that is far more precise and interesting when we take into account the meaning it adds when we look beyond the festival as just a few musical concerts. Music can change communities and alter entire lives – there’s a truthfulness found at the end of an instrument or embedded in these lyrics that say more about society than any speech, and Questlove (using his well-documented passion for music) does very well in bringing this sensation to the screen in Summer of Soul, which only grows more rich and exciting when we look beyond the smallest details and go in search of something deeper, which is done very frequently through the director’s provoking of several complex ideas, which he presents with stark authenticity and a kind of genuine earnestness normally reserved for only the most dedicated of artists.

Summer of Soul is not a film that is afraid to ask the challenging questions – even its extended title playfully pays homage to Gil Scott Heron’s iconic piece of counterculture poetry. Yet, even when it is confronting some of the darkest moments in America’s history, Questlove chooses to remain on the path that allows for discomfort (it would be a fatal mistake if he didn’t address these issues head-on and with a forthright commitment to his principles as an artist), but never alienates the audience. America in the 1960s had serious shortcomings – there are more than one reference to the brutal killings that took place throughout the decade, whether it be public figures like Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X (whose legacies linger heavily throughout the film), or the myriad of others who lost their lives, whether as a result of fighting in an unpopular war, or through simply existing at a time when being black was considered to be reason enough to be treated as sub-human. Questlove addresses all these issues – some of them with an irreverent sense of humour (one of the best sequences in the film comes when the director seems to be centring a segment on the moon-landing, which also took place during the same festival, only to have this moment of self-important American patriotism brought to a screeching halt by the disparaging words of festival attendees, who find the Harlem Cultural Festival much more of a worthwhile investment), others far more unsettling. Questlove has a good eye for detail, and is a magnificent storyteller – and while his voice can rarely be heard, his distinctive style comes through beautifully, and establishes him as someone who can weave together a poignant tale of American culture, all through the medium in which he has found the most meaning as an artist.

There’s a power that music holds in uniting entire communities that the director perfectly encapsulates in Summer of Soul, showcasing exactly how these artists weren’t only driven by a need to entertain, but also to impart a particular message, to say something that they hoped would change more than a few hearts and minds, all the while being representatives of communities that had never been offered an equal place at the table. They knew their voice mattered, which is what makes Questlove’s insistence on telling this story and illuminating this musical event so inspiring. It feels like nothing short of a revelation to see these artists burning up the stage and demonstrating their craft – whether iconic figures that are viewed with nothing but reverence, or the younger musicians who would find this event to be one of the most important steps in their journey to becoming icons in their own right, Summer of Soul is a varied portrait of American musical culture, told through the story of a festival that had been almost entirely forgotten until this point, when it has gloriously been brought back to life, all through the director’s fervent commitment to finding the importance in this event, and handing it over to contemporary audiences for a number of reasons – for the purpose of entertainment (there are some absolutely stunning performances in the film), for historical reasons, and most importantly, for the sake of documenting a pivotal moment in the past that deserved to be preserved and seen by the present and future generations. Emotional, heartfelt and absolutely transfixing, Summer of Soul is a contemporary masterpiece, a glorious and exceptionally well made documentary that provides an insightful and meaningful journey into American culture, all told through the lens of one unforgettable summer and the artists that made it such an invaluable moment in history.