Full Trailer for ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ Revived Doc from 1972
by Alex Billington
September 3, 2026
Source: YouTube
“Being here with all these intelligent gentlemen, I’m afraid to open my mouth!” Neon has debuted the main official trailer for their highly acclaimed documentary film titled Once Upon a Time in Harlem, set for a release in limited US theaters starting in October. It first premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and played at Cannes and is screening at Telluride next. Once Upon a Time in Harlem is actually a film that was made in the 1970s by the brilliant Black American filmmaker William Greaves, who passed away in 2014. Finding the lost in time footage, his son David Greaves put together all of the shots (filmed on 16mm) and finished the film – a fascinating documentary introducing us to the most incredible collection of individuals who gathered for a party in 1972 up in Harlem. The lively event took place at jazz maestro Duke Ellington’s townhouse in NYC and was filled with living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance, an event he regarded as the most important he captured on film. Greaves invited every last participant he could locate. Many had not seen one another for decades. It takes us into that experience and it’s truly unforgettable. A remarkable, refreshing portrait of many Black American icons with many unforgettable interactions caught on camera.
Official trailer (+ poster) for William Greaves’ doc film Once Upon a Time in Harlem, from YouTube:
You can rewatch the first teaser for Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem doc right here for the first look.
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group – many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years – reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, freshly restored and now directed by Greaves’ son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves’ intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive. 🇺🇸
Once Upon a Time in Harlem is directed by both William Greaves and his son David Greaves. William Greaves was an American filmmaker who passed away in 2014. He directed by many iconic films in his era including Four Religions, Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One, The Fighters, That’s Black Entertainment, and many others. Produced by Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare. This initially premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Neon releases Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem doc in select US theaters starting October 16th, 2026 this fall. Look good?
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