Video: Questlove Explores Earth, Wind & Fire in Trailer for New Documentary
Featured participants include President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, H.E.R., and Flea.
A new HBO Original documentary about the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire is premiering next month. Produced and directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial Vs. That’s the Weight of the World) debuts Sunday, June 7 at 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer now.
The documentary tells the story of the nine-time GRAMMY Award-winning band, tracing their genesis through late founding member Maurice White, chronicling their evolution, highs and lows, and relevance from the 1970s into the present day while exploring the deep philosophical and spiritual meaning behind their message and music.
It draws from the band’s rich visual, audio, and written archives, including never-before-seen footage, and features candid interviews with band members, colleagues, family, and high-profile fans. The film traces the childhood that would forge White’s worldview and reflects the singular influence of his music on generations of artists, such as Prince and Stevie Wonder, as well as its resurgence through sampling and collaborations with today’s hip-hop artists.
Exploring the band’s evolution from jazz to soul, R&B, Afro-funk, disco, and beyond, the film details how White strove to weave his spiritual, metaphysical, and astrological passions into the band’s genre-spanning songwriting and increasingly theatrical live shows in an effort to unite a wide and diverse audience.
Featured participants include band members Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson are joined by musicians, managers, authors, former band members, and family members, as well as notables the band has influenced, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, H.E.R., and Flea.
The film from Fifth Season is produced by RadicalMedia, Two One Five Entertainment, Broken Halo Entertainment, and Word Is Bond in association with Sony Music Vision. Producers include Dave Sirulnick, Samantha Grogin, KB White, and Arron Saxe. Executive producers are Jon Kamen, Cheo Hodari Coker, Karla Zambrano, Zarah Zohlman, Shawn Gee, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, and Amos Newman. For HBO, executive producers are Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.
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