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A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. (PG-13, 100 min.)
(TBD)
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group — many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years — reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, newly restored and now directed by Greaves’ son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves’ intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive. [NEON]
Director: David Greaves
Genre: Biography, Documentary, Family, Music
"A vital reclamation of a precious history."
— Robert Daniels, RogerEbert.com
"The excavation of such history feels nothing short of monumental."
— Aisha Harris, NPR
"It’s a monumental and remarkable work, a true gift from cinema history."
— Chase Hutchinson, The Inlander
"It’s a historical time capsule as important as any film released this century."
— William Stottor, Loud and Clear Reviews
"This archival movie is a treasure trove of details that aren't taught in most history classes."
— Carla Hay, Culture Mix
"A masterful piece of cinema, Once Upon a Time in Harlem vividly brings a rich history to life."
— Courtney Small, That Shelf
"David Greaves’ 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' is loving, indispensable history, unabashedly enjoyable."
— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
"Superlative documentary filmmaking. What began 50 years ago arrives right on time. It’s a treasure. A national treasure."
— Dwight Brown, DwightBrownInk.com
"It is a conceptually mind-blowing experience that will make you think about history, art, impermanence, and immortality."
— Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
"A remarkable time capsule that brings the Harlem Renaissance to life through candid, fascinating stories from the legends who lived it."
— Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
"The conversations could not be more stimulating, offering a glimpse of Black America past and present that is joyous, defiant and sobering."
— Tim Grierson, Screen International
"Making historical preservation feel thrillingly present, this documentary is a remarkable time capsule that doubles as a tribute to a family legacy."
— Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue
"One of the year’s best documentaries, a cinematic time capsule of Black cultural and political history and a great party that we’re privileged to attend."
— Liam Lacey, Original Cin
"Once Upon a Time in Harlem isn’t just another great work to add to the canon of William Greaves, but an unfiltered look into what it feels like to be in the presence of greatness."
— Andrew Parker, The Gate
"This group of people laughing, arguing, and reminiscing about a great era of American history—and also about members of their cohort who were long gone—recaptured lightning in a bottle."
— Stephanie Zacharek, TIME Magazine
"What the Greaves family gives life to in this extraordinary film is a history still animated by the people who made it, with all the pleasure and difficulty of finding room for one another within it."
— Sarah-Tai Black, Globe and Mail
"Extraordinary. As essential an historical document as you could ever hope to find, it should be considered required viewing for every American who has the slightest interest in our nation’s history, politics, or culture."
— Elizabeth Weitzman, TheWrap
"The fact that Once Upon a Time in Harlem exists at all is something of a miracle. Rarely do such eloquent time capsules exist from yester-year, and rarer still do they exist as time capsules themselves for a still lingering past."
— Erik Reeds, Spectrum Culture
"It doesn’t just preserve a moment in Black culture. It preserves the conversation, reminding us that these artists weren’t just names in a textbook. They were people with strong opinions, sharp tongues, complicated perspectives, and stories worth hearing."
— Monique Pearl, Geek Girl Riot
