All are welcome to the library for a movie matinee on Saturday, February 8 at 1:00 p.m. in the Howard Room. The library will be showing Questlove's 2022 documentary The Summer of Soul. As we're getting settled in, we'll play a short "newsreel" before the feature film of local historical clips of interest, preserved and made accessible by Northeast Historic Film, and selected by our own Shannon Martin. Popcorn, tea, and coffee will be available for movie-viewing accompaniment.

"In his debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson presents a documentary, part music film, part historical record, created around an event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten, until now. This documentary shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past, and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more." Runtime: 1 hr 58 min, rated PG-13 for "some disturbing images, smoking, and brief drug material."

This program is free and sponsored by the library thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Library. If you have any questions, contact Olivia at oliviaz@bhpl.net or call the library at 374-5515.