Mr. Soul

This film is appearing in Out On Film in Atlanta. http://http://www.outonfilm.org/

"Mr. SOUL!" is a necessary peek into the community of American Black folks in the late 1960s. Very little attention - and, correspondingly, very little money - was invested in television for Black folks by Black folks. This documentary not only expands on that section of the Civil Rights Era in which "SOUL!" the variety show was conceived, but also the various assembled forces of opposition which may have lead to its early demise.

Beyond tracing the show's genesis, the film presents an extended profile on Ellis Haizlip, a.k.a. Mr. SOUL!, while also providing a clear picture of New York City in the late 1960s. Although he was an openly gay Black man, very little is shown of his romantic or sexual relationships. He was a cultural nexus, capable of connecting with artists of different mediums: music, dance, and spoken and written word. His talents lay in promotion and production, a path from which his segregated and supportive childhood drew him to express the various facets of Blackness.

Blackness from around the nation, around the world, with various shades of Black and Brown, was part of his vision for the show on Channel 13 on what was then the National Education Network. It became not only a way for Black folks to see themselves, but also a way to confront each other on certain issues that they couldn't talk about in front of white people. This documentary, at a lengthy two hours, features fantastic recordings from the show of landmark performances and interviews that uniquely celebrated Blackness from a Black perspective.

While popular with Black viewers, not all of the primarily white people in power may have been so enthusiastic. Still, the tiny show made quite an impact. By the time Nixon was elected and Public Broadcasting Service discontinued funding of "SOUL!," Ellis knew he would always have a job, if not doing the show doing something similarly uplifting.