LOCAL>> Mr. SOUL!

From 1968-1973, America got SOUL!, television’s first all-black entertainment/variety show.

This film celebrates the groundbreaking PBS series from its genesis against the backdrop of a swiftly changing political and social landscape, while profiling Ellis Haizlip, the charismatic man behind one of the most culturally significant and successful television shows in U.S. history. In his personal fight for social equality, Haizlip ensured the Revolution Would Be Televised.

Part nightclub, part salon, SOUL! offered classic live performances by up-and-coming soul, jazz, and world musicians, juxtaposed with in-depth interviews featuring actors, literary figures, prominent politicians, and intellectuals.

Haizlip championed early acts such as Ashford and Simpson, Roberta Flack, Al Green, Billy Taylor, Bill Withers, and Patti LaBelle, pairing them alongside Toni Morrison, Muhammad Ali, Cicely Tyson, The Last Poets, Amiri Baraka, Jesse Jackson, Merry Clayton, and more.

Mr. SOUL! presents a vivid portrait of this largely unknown yet enormously influential television series and the remarkable man who brought his personal vision of inclusion and social change to people across America.

Directors: Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard