Summer of Soul

As the film that opened the festival and one of the most hyped documentaries in recent memory, Summer of Soul came with high expectations. Like seemingly everyone, I had no idea about the Harlem Cultural Festival, but I was well acquainted with Questlove from his role in the Roots and a one-off appearance on The Eric Andre Show. 

I’m naturally quite a cynical person and very distrusting of Sundance acclaim so that, combined with Summer of Soul being a directorial debut, meant I went in sceptical, but this was just fantastic. I was totally blown away.

Through one of the best restorations and scans I’ve ever seen, Summer of Soul does a magnificent job of taking the forgotten event and putting it on display. The performances are perfectly captured, and the audio mix is so crisp and balanced that you feel you’re really there. The setting of a 60’s New York drenched in summer haze compliments the festival’s design so that it feels like a vivid dream. It’s like experiencing someone else’s memories through the screen.

As well as serving as an impressive document to the festival the surrounding context and history is incredibly interesting. It explains the civil rights movement and its conflict in an accessible way while still managing a consistent tone with the euphoria of the festival. The editing is particularly innovative in this regard. There’s a sequence where the JFK assassination and its fallout is directly contrasted with a live performance that’s incredibly well executed.

This is a retrospective of a  cultural monument and a powerhouse of a documentary. Make sure to see Summer of Soul in theatres on release, since I’m kicking myself for seeing this at home and not getting to experience it with a remotely decent sound system.  

Written by Isaac Holmes