Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a yet-unreleased project of renowned filmmaker William Greaves, will open in theaters on Oct. 16. This film documents a 1972 party Greaves hosted that reunited many leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance. Greaves considered this one-of-a-kind experience to be “the most important event he captured on film.”
Though Greaves passed away in 2014, his son David and granddaughter Liani have revitalized the project. David took on the role of director, while Liani produced the film. With the original 1972 footage newly restored, this film captures the conversations, arguments, and reminiscences that took place among the artists and thinkers who comprised the guests that evening.
Though it had been fifty years since many of the guests had seen one another, the event proved to be a sparkling success. Taking place at the home of Duke Ellington, the party included Eubie Blake, Aaron Douglas, Leigh Whipper, and many other groundbreaking creatives and intellectuals.
In making this film, William Greaves sought to celebrate the essence of the Harlem Renaissance and its extraordinary cultural impact. In addition to documenting the exceptional stories of these individuals’ lives and work, the film digs deeply into the meaning and importance of this unique creative period.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem was presented at the Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, New York, and London Film Festivals. It has been the only film this year to screen at all six of these festivals, and it has met with glowing critical acclaim.
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