A Rare Piece of Harlem Renaissance History Is Finally Getting the Spotlight It Deserves in an All-New Film

It may not be February, but a rare, once-in-a-lifetime piece of Black history is finally making its way to the masses soon.

In particular, we’re talking about the forthcoming film, “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker William Greaves. Inspired by the legacy of fellow filmmaker Jean Bach’s “A Great Day in Harlem” with a nod to Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in…” title, Greaves’ upcoming film centers around a four-hour party in 1972 that he pulled together, with more than a handful of living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance.

Hosted at the home of beloved jazz pioneer Duke Ellington, the shindig welcomed writers, thinkers, entertainers, and artists like journalist Gerri Major, Ida Mae Cullen (poet Countee Cullen’s widow), playwright-librarian Regina Andrews, Abram Hill, Frank Horne, photographer James Van Der Zee, pianist-composer Eubie Blake, painter Aaron Douglas, poet-writer Richard Bruce Nugent and more. Throughout the film, viewers listen in on riveting conversations, lively debates, and the dynamics of a community of Black folks that is rarely seen on camera.

Related: Meet the Father of the Harlem Renaissance

Unlike other documentaries that set up their audience as mere spectators, this film is unique in that it makes viewers feel as if they’re sitting in Ellington’s living room, soaking up the conversation for themselves. It’s also the first time many viewers will actually get to see a more personal side of the historic icons from the Harlem Renaissance era, laughing, talking, cracking jokes, arguing their perspectives.

More than 100 years after the peak of the Harlem Renaissance, these figures only exist in our history books and our imaginations, as most of us weren’t around when things were transforming and taking place. So, to finally get a real glimpse of some of the people who played a major role in shaping literature, the arts, music, and more is one of those lightning in a bottle moments that we all need to witness.

At a time when Black history, its impact, and legacy are being threatened, “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” serves as a powerful reminder that preserving our history means more than remembering names and dates—it means getting to see, hear, and experience the people who helped shape it while we still can.

“Once Upon a Time in Harlem” hits theaters October 16.