In 1972, visionary independent filmmaker William Greaves convened an extraordinary, intimate gathering of surviving titans of the Harlem Renaissance — including painter Aaron Douglas, poet Arna Bontemps, musicians Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, and photographer James Van Der Zee — to capture their living memories and artistic legacies.
After sitting unfinished in vaults for over fifty years, the raw footage was meticulously completed by his son, David Greaves, constructing a breathtaking bridge across time.
The documentary now captures these legendary figures as they reminisce, perform, and reflect on the changing sociopolitical tides of Black culture from the 1920s through the civil rights era, offering an unprecedented front-row seat to living history.
William and David Greaves deliver a transcendent archival masterpiece that serves as both a priceless time capsule and a centenary celebration of American cultural triumph.
From electrifying piano ragtime improvisations to deeply moving reflections on art and resilience, this miraculous cinematic discovery stands as a monument to cultural memory.
USA, 2026
(English, English subtitles) 100m
