Interview With "Once Upon A Time In Harlem" Co-DIrector David Greaves

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You were listening to The Next Best Picture Podcast, and this is Giovanni Lago's interview with the co-director for Once Upon a Time in Harlem, David Greaves.

SPEAKER_4 (1:37)

In Harlem, in 1972, acclaimed filmmaker William Greaves hosted a cocktail party for artists and intellectuals, the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance at the home of Duke Ellington. This was the final recorded gathering, representing one of the greatest creative movements in history.

Giovanni Lago (2:03)

Hello, everyone. My name is Giovanni Lago from The Next Best Picture Podcast. Today, I am joined with one of the visionaries behind what is one of the year's best films, Once Upon A Time In Harlem, David Greaves. David, thank you so much for joining me today.

David Greaves (2:16)

Thank you so much for inviting me.

SPEAKER_2 (2:18)

I really appreciate it.

Giovanni Lago (2:19)

I know you worked with your father, William, multiple times before inevitably filming what was the Harlem Renaissance celebration. That fateful night in 1972 that has led to this project.

I would love to know from your perspective, the conversation you had and the memories you have surrounding when your father first pitched you the idea that, hey, I want to do this. I want to film this event. What was going on through your mind and how did that inevitably snowball to what is this 50 year long passion project?

David Greaves (2:53)

Okay. Well, I can't say he didn't pitch it to me. He told me what we were going to be doing.

I had done, while he was pulling that party together, I was filming archival material up at the Beinecke Library and at Yale. I was filming all the archives, the data pictures that are in the film, and we used a previous film from these groups. Yeah. So leading up to it, I remember him telling me that I was going to be one of the camera people, and that was a very exciting thing for me because I knew who the other three people were, and I knew that those were folks who he highly trusted, and to be included in that group was really a moment to be excited about and to know you had to step up to be there.

So I don't remember the room itself because I was working. I was just in a zone doing what it was that I had to do. So I can't tell you about being a fly on the wall and being impressed by everybody who was there, etc. Afterward, of course, when we're going through the, after syncing up the footage, you get to see what is that we have. And we saw that we have jewels all over the place, really. And so the task then became, how do you select from this constellation of really great moments in the party itself and in the interviews? So, that was really the challenge of the... There was a wonderful challenge to have. That was one of the challenges in the editing room, that you have a choice of things that are spectacular. And that's always a good place to be, I think, when you're shooting for cinema verite.

Giovanni Lago (5:12)

You know, you mentioned the editing, which I do want to bring up. It is a remarkable feat of editing, because I think when you're at a party, there's so many conversations going on, there's so many people, there's natural pivots and conversations, there are people talking over each other. And I'm sure as a filmmaker, you're wanting to keep everything like you say, you know, the cinema verite, that naturalistic style that audiences are there.