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Once Upon a Time in Harlem backdrop
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
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Once Upon a Time in Harlem

20261h 40m
Documentary
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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.

IMDb
7.7 /10
178 reviews
Letterboxd
4.0 /5
4,137 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes
100%
Critics
Metacritic
96
Critics

Playing at

BFI Southbank13 showingsCurzon Bloomsbury1 showing
BFI Southbank13 showingsCurzon Bloomsbury1 showing

ShowingsShowings

Friday, 20 November 2026

18:00
Curzon Bloomsbury
LDNDOCS 2026: Once Upon A Time In Harlem
Renoir Screen
LDNDOCS: LDNDOCS is an intimate showcase of cinematic nonfiction held each November in Central London. The festival celebrates bold, unforgettable work and the limitless potential of the documentary form.
Screening followed by a Q&A

Friday, 11 December 2026

14:40
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio Description
20:40
BFI Southbank
Once Upon a Time in Harlem + Q&A with producer Liani Greaves
Screen 1
Audio Description

Saturday, 12 December 2026

12:15
BFI Southbank
Screen 3
Audio Description
20:55
BFI Southbank
Screen 3
Audio Description

Sunday, 13 December 2026

12:15
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio DescriptionHard of Hearing
18:10
BFI Southbank
Screen 2
Audio Description

Monday, 14 December 2026

14:40
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio Description
18:10
BFI Southbank
Screen 2
Audio Description

Tuesday, 15 December 2026

14:40
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio DescriptionHard of Hearing

Wednesday, 16 December 2026

12:15
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio Description
18:20
BFI Southbank
Screen 4
Audio DescriptionHard of Hearing

Thursday, 17 December 2026

14:30
BFI Southbank
Screen 3
Audio Description
18:05
BFI Southbank
Member exclusive: Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Screen 3
Audio Description