Proudly touting its distinction as "the only film this year to screen at Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, TIFF, NYFF and London," Neon has unveiled a new trailer and poster for Once Upon a Time in Harlem.
Conceived and filmed by William Greaves, a Black actor who became disgruntled with the roles that were available for him to portray in the film industry in the late 40s and early 50s, moved to Canada, received training at the National Film Board of Canada -- yay Canada! -- and became a documentary director, coming to wide notice with 1968's Symbiopsychotaxiplasm (see our own Jim Tudor's review), Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a truly unique film.
The official verbiage explains why:
"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 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."
After its festival run concludes, the film, directed by David Greaves, will open October 16, only in movie theaters, via Neon. The new poster accompanies this article; check out the new trailer below.