NASHVILLE, TN — There’s plenty of anticipation and national discussion ongoing about the release of the late William Greaves’ exceptional documentary film from the early ‘70s.
Now Nashville audiences will get the opportunity to see the celebrated Greaves production “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.” Though he’s been dead for over a decade, his son David spearheaded the campaign that finally saw the original film, which was shot on 16mm, restored and released. “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” features a 1972 party with then-living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, they reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Many of them had not seen each other in over 50 years.
This landmark film is being shown at the Belcourt starting Nov. 13.
Greaves is well known to contemporary audiences for such works as the meta-documentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One” and as the longtime director-producer of the groundbreaking TV program “Black Journal.” Back in 1972, he threw a party in Duke Ellington’s apartment.
He assembled a group of artists, writers, poets, actors, musicians and thinkers who were key participants in the Harlem Renaissance. The list of participants included Richard Bruce Nugent, Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, James Van Der Zee and Countee Cullen’s widow, Ida Mae Cullen.
Greaves’ multiple-camera work deftly captures the evening’s interaction. His son’s additional editing helps provide a contemporary edge to the original ‘70s textures. While condensing a four-hour event into a one-hour, 40-minute film required the omission of much material, there’s still plenty to savor in “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.” It is also this year’s winner of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. Check the Belcourt website for a complete listing of screening times. The Belcourt Theater is located at 2102 Belcourt Avenue in Nashville.
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