Once Upon a Time in Harlem: William Greaves and David Greaves Landmark Documentary

Though accurate, the title of this landmark documentary might divert viewers’ attention due to other pictures that have used it, like Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, or Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

A considerable multi-generation effort, of father-son personal and cultural bonds, the film was directed by William Greaves and David Greaves (and produced by Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare).

Grade: A

In essence, it follows an unparalleled historical gathering of the surviving members of the Harlem Renaissance.

Shot in 1972, it remained unfinished for fifty years, until son David revisited the footage following his father’s death.

The film had its world premiere at the Premieres section of the 2026 Sundance Film Fest, and it was also screened at the Directors’ Fortnight of the Cannes Fest, in May.

The setting–Duke Ellington’s townhouse in Harlem–is just as unusual as what follows for the duration of the work.

Greaves invited every surviving participant he could locate, which was not easy due t the time gap, of members, many of whom had not seen one another for decades.

They included the painter Aaron Douglas; the artist and writer Richard Bruce Nugent; the poet Arna Bontemps; the musicians Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle; the photographer James Van Der Zee; Ida Mae Cullen, the widow of Countee Cullen.

No wonder William Grieves considered the event as the most important one he had ever captured on film.

A history lesson (though not a boring one) and time capsule of what these artists had accomplished, as well as a fascinating contextual analysis of the conditions that allowed for and motivated such renaissance, which encompassed letters and literature, fine and visual art, experimental film; the kind of which had never existed and not likely to happen again in the future.

I do not wish to label the documentary as an historical lesson by suggesting that it should be shown in high schools and colleges, though I hope that by doing so oy will not only enrich or knowledge but also encourage to dig deeper and deeper into the roots of African-American culture in the broadest sense of this term.

Once Upon a Time in Harlem is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on October 16, 2026, right after playing in the Main Slate of the New York Film Fest.

A longer review will be published later.

Once Upon a Time in Harlem: William Greaves and David Greaves Landmark Documentary

PROFESSOR / CRITIC / AUTHOR