Over 40 hours of video footage was recorded during the festival. Despite the event’s enormous social significance, no broadcaster was willing to air the material at the time. As a result, the videotapes ended up stored away in the organizers’ basement. Nearly 50 years later, film producers Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick stumbled upon the footage by chance while working on a documentary about Nina Simone. Kamen and Sirulnick then approached the versatile musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson to direct a documentary about the festival. This ultimately resulted in the film Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).
FILM: SUMMER OF SOUL
GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
Saturday 28 November 2026
Have you ever heard of the Harlem Cultural Festival? No? Understandable, but a real shame. The festival took place in 1969, less than 100 miles from Woodstock, and drew around 300,000 visitors! The Harlem Cultural Festival was an ode to Black culture, fashion, music, art, and community. The biggest musicians performed there, including Nina Simone, B.B. King, and Sly and the Family Stone. Activism also played a major role in the festival: civil rights activist Jesse Jackson delivered speeches, and the Black Panthers provided security.
Together with Filmhuis Den Haag & Melkweg
Music brings us together. Whether that is from Amsterdam to The Hague, or simply from one side of Grote Marktstraat to the other. That is why this November, Filmhuis Den Haag, Melkweg, and we are joining forces to present a new film series: GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER, films celebrating music in all its forms. From the very first rehearsals to the final concerts, we explore what music can achieve as a great unifier. So gather your friends and enjoy highlights from music film history! At GR8, you can watch the films Jazz on a Summer’s Day and Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)!
