Part of Doctober
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 50 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.
“A documentary brimming with the wry and the wise, the thought-provoking and the deeply entertaining…. A vivid and layered time capsule…. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM turns viewers into time travelers but also invited guests, rightly grateful to be in the room.” —Lisa Kennedy, Variety “This is as essential a historical document as you could ever hope to find.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. And, come to think of it, also for those who don’t.” —Elizabeth Weitzman, The Wrap “ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM is a miracle. A clarion call from across space and time, like a message in a bottle, its very existence is a wild gift.” —Gregory Nussen, Screen Rant “Greaves puts us right in the room with his naturalistic, vérité approach, making us quiet spectators among some of the most influential Black writers, thinkers, artists and entertainers to ever live…. The beauty of the film is that it doesn’t judge viewers for what they do and don’t know, but rather encourages us to open our minds to history and see the connections between then and now. William Greaves was born in Harlem during the Renaissance, too young to be a part of it, but just old enough to understand the role of younger generations in keeping Black history alive. In a time when Black Americans have to deal with a government that wants to erase our history and minimize our accomplishments, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM stands as a piece of cinematic resistance.” —Jourdain Searles, Hollywood Reporter
