Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPrimetime EmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalFall TV GuideMost Anticipated This MonthSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayTrending peopleCelebrity news
    IMDb LabsHelp centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
    Some content may be auto-translated
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)

  • 2021
  • PG-13
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
15K
YOUR RATING
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) (2021)
Music DocumentaryDocumentaryHistoryMusic

Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.Documentary about the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival which celebrated African-American music and culture and promoted Black pride and unity.

  • Directors
    • Questlove
    • Hal Tulchin
  • Stars
    • Dorinda Drake
    • Barbara Bland-Acosta
    • Darryl Lewis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    15K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Questlove
      • Hal Tulchin
    • Stars
      • Dorinda Drake
      • Barbara Bland-Acosta
      • Darryl Lewis
    • 107User reviews
    • 126Critic reviews
    • 96Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 74 wins & 44 nominations total

    Photos55

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 49
    View Poster

    Top Cast99+

    Dorinda Drake
    Dorinda Drake
    • Self - Festival Attendee
    Barbara Bland-Acosta
    Barbara Bland-Acosta
    • Self - Festival Attendee
    Darryl Lewis
    Darryl Lewis
    • Self - Festival Attendee
    Ethel Beatty
    Ethel Beatty
    • Self - Festival Attendee
    • (as Ethel Beatty-Barnes)
    Al Sharpton
    Al Sharpton
    • Self - Minister & Activist
    • (as Reverend Al Sharpton)
    Allen Zerkin
    Allen Zerkin
    • Self - Former Assistant to Tony Lawrence
    Margot Edman
    Margot Edman
    • Self - Festival Production Assistant
    Alan Leeds
    Alan Leeds
    • Self - Music Manager & Executive
    Cyril 'Bullwhip' Innis Jr.
    Cyril 'Bullwhip' Innis Jr.
    • Self - Black Panther Party
    Hal Tulchin
    Hal Tulchin
    • Self - Director & Producer, Harlem Cultural Festival 1969
    Musa Jackson
    Musa Jackson
    • Self - Festival Attendee
    Billy Davis Jr.
    Billy Davis Jr.
    • Self - The 5th Dimension
    Marilyn McCoo
    Marilyn McCoo
    • Self - The 5th Dimension
    Adrienne Kryor
    Adrienne Kryor
    • Self - The Edwin Hawkins Singers
    Greg Tate
    Greg Tate
    • Self - Writer & Musician
    Charlayne Hunter-Gault
    Charlayne Hunter-Gault
    • Self - Former Reporter, The New York Times
    Gladys Knight
    Gladys Knight
    • Self - Musician
    Greg Errico
    Greg Errico
    • Self - Drummer, Sly & the Family Stone
    • Directors
      • Questlove
      • Hal Tulchin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews107

    8.015.4K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
    Sign in to see this summary and all user reviews
    See opinions from fans, or write your own review.
    Sign in to IMDb
    This extra step helps us keep IMDb's reviews a space for genuine, human voices.

    More like this

    Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)
    7.6
    Sly Lives! (aka the Burden of Black Genius)
    Wattstax
    7.7
    Wattstax
    Audible
    6.7
    Audible
    I Am Not Your Negro
    7.9
    I Am Not Your Negro
    Time
    6.8
    Time
    Muscle Shoals
    7.8
    Muscle Shoals
    Amy
    7.8
    Amy
    Summer of Soul
    Flee
    7.9
    Flee
    A Love Song for Latasha
    6.8
    A Love Song for Latasha
    The Kids Are Alright
    8.0
    The Kids Are Alright
    The One and Only Dick Gregory
    7.9
    The One and Only Dick Gregory

    Related interests

    Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and The Beatles in Part 2: Days 8-16 (2021)
    Music Documentary
    Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
    Documentary
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History
    Prince and Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain (1984)
    Music

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The opening credits refer to this film as "A Questlove Jawn." As Questlove explains, a "jawn" is Philadelphia slang for any person, place, or thing.
    • Goofs
      The subtitle, "When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised," is incorrect. In 1969, the year the Harlem Cultural Festival concerts took place, two TV specials about them were shown: Harlem Festival (1969) on July 28, 1969 on CBS (while the concerts were still taking place) and The Folk Gospel Music Festival (1969)on September 16, 1969 on ABC.
    • Quotes
      • Sly Stone: Don't wait for approval from your neighbor, because your neighbor might be waiting for you.
    • Crazy credits
      There is a scene after the end credits featuring Stevie Wonder and his band leader bantering back and forth on stage.
    • Connections
      Edited from Harlem Festival (1969)
    • Soundtracks
      Drum Solo
      Written by Stevie Wonder
      Performed by Stevie Wonder
      Published by Jobete Music Co. Inc. on behalf of itself and Black Bull Music
      Licensed courtesy of Wonder Productions, Inc.
      Steve Wonder appears courtesy of Wonder Productions, Inc.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    • Release date
      • July 2, 2021 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Summer of soul (...o cuando la revolución no pudo
    • Filming locations
      • Mount Morris Park, Harlem, New York, USA(location)
    • Production companies
      • Mass Distraction Media
      • RadicalMedia
      • Vulcan Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,320,649
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $802,054
      • Jul 5, 2021
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,701,343
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 58m(118 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    You have no recently viewed pages
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2026 by IMDb.com, Inc.