Join us online for a free Indie Lens Pop-Up screening and discussion of Mr. SOUL!, a new documentary by Melissa Haizlip.

Before Oprah and Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! From 1968 into 1973, the public television variety show SOUL! offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics. Guided by enigmatic producer and host Ellis Haizlip, the series was among the first to foreground expanded expression by African Americans on television, and shifted the viewer’s gaze to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. Through participants’ recollections and illuminating archival clips, Mr. SOUL! celebrates one of broadcasting’s unsung heroes, and captures a critical moment in culture whose impact continues to resonate.

Featuring upcoming documentaries from the Peabody Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Indie Lens Pop-up is presented locally by the Yale Film Archive, CPTV, and Independent Lens.