Questlove: Oscar-nominated ‘Summer of Soul’ is a film his younger self would have wanted to see

“It took me some time to appreciate that in my quest for being artistic, I am a pure storyteller,” Questlove mentioned.

See his full interview with On The Purple Carpet within the video participant above.

He mentioned that the guts behind his extremely acclaimed Oscar-nominated documentary “Summer season of Soul (Or When the Revolution Might Not Be Televised)” got here from a want to create content material {that a} youthful model of himself would have wished to see.

The movie facilities across the largely forgotten Harlem Cultural Competition, which was filmed in Marcus Garvey Park (previously Mount Morris Park) in Harlem, New York, over the summer time of 1969. The occasion celebrated Black historical past, tradition and trend over the course of six weeks.

MORE: The revolution that was by no means televised lastly will get seen in ‘Summer season of Soul’

Questlove mentioned he seen the juxtaposition within the narratives surrounding Harlem’s pageant and Woodstock, which happened the identical 12 months. Whereas the upstate New York pageant was framed as a lifechanging expertise, broadcasters dismissed the Harlem Cultural Competition — despite the fact that it included performances by music legends like Stevie Surprise, Nina Simone, Sly & the Household Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips and extra.

This, Questlove mentioned, is an instance of “Black erasure,” the dismissing and/or discarding of sure Black-centric historic occasions.

“What’s occurred to this movie might be one of the best instance. Oftentimes, with a number of creations from Black artists and Black individuals, our tales are dismissed as not being relatable or essential sufficient and solely essential to us,” he mentioned.

He’s, nonetheless, proud that “Summer season of Soul” emphasizes the significance of reflecting Black pleasure, which is obvious within the artists’ performances and the 300,000-member viewers’s reactions in Harlem throughout a time when New York Metropolis was hurting.

“This second was an essential second in historical past for lots of people. It was so therapeutic that I’ll by no means once more be so casually dismissive of something I do,” Questlove mentioned.

“Summer season of Soul” is the primary official challenge below the Onyx Collective model for creators of shade and underrepresented creatives. It is now streaming on Hulu.

FULL LIST: 2022 Oscar nominations

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