"I saw myself as part of a process in which Harlem and the artists of the Renaissance were at the forefront of our people's search for identity and recognition,"
"I now see that culture is what defines a people, and I see this film as an exploration and an appreciation of African American culture, and the role the artist plays in creating that culture and defining who we are as a people."
Once Upon a Time in Harlem compiles 16mm footage shot in August 1972 at Duke Ellington's Harlem home that gathered many figures from the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves filmed three cameras, producing roughly 60,000 feet (about 28 hours) of material and conducted follow-up interviews. Greaves produced more than 200 documentaries and made films about Muhammad Ali, Ida B. Wells, Ralph Bunche and Frederick Douglass, and produced Black Journal from 1968 to 1977. The film was completed recently by Greaves's son David, who served as an original cameraman at Ellington's. Greaves framed the project as an exploration and appreciation of African American culture.
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