David Farnor | On 19, Jun 2021

Sundance award-winning documentary Summer of Soul is heading to Disney+ this July, just a few weeks after its cinema release.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the Utah festival – and the opening film of this year’s Sheffield DocFest – Summer of Soul transports us back to 1969 to one of America’s most epic events – The Harlem Cultural Festival.

For six weeks, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, the epic event celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. It was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) and featured performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach and more. But after that summer, the footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now, thanks to the feature directorial debut of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

Summer of Soul (…Or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) stands as a testament to music and culture as collective empowerment. It’s released in UK cinemas on 16th July, before streaming on Disney+ on 30th July, as part of a £7.99 monthly subscription.

Here’s the trailer:

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