Source: Courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival / Tribeca Film Festival

The Apollo Theater in Harlem is a historic landmark to the culture and though much of today’s generation view it as just another building, they’re about to get a history lesson on how deep it’s meaning is and why it deserves respect.

To open the 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival, HBO will be premiering it’s documentary film The Apollo which will be presented by AT&T. Directed by Emmy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams, The Apollo will take viewers back in time when the theater was viewed as thee stage to perform on by some of today’s biggest stars and icons.

“The Apollo is about so much more than just music, it’s about how we used music and art to lift ourselves out of oppression,“ commented director Roger Ross Williams.  “The story of the Apollo is the story of the evolution of black American identity and how it grew to become the defining cultural movement of our time.  I was fortunate to make my first film with HBO and I am thrilled to be coming back home with The Apollo. Premiering at The Tribeca Film Festival, at the Apollo Theater in Harlem is a dream come true.”

The feature-length documentary weaves together archival footage, music, comedy and dance performances, and behind-the-scenes verité with the team that makes the theater run. The Apollo features interviews with artists including Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson, and Jamie Foxx. The documentary is produced by Lisa Cortés, Nigel Sinclair’s White Horse Pictures, and Williams. 

Are you excited for this long overdue documentary? Let us know and if you’re not in town for the Tribeca Film Festival, The Apollo is set to screen at The Apollo Theater on April 24 and premier on HBO later this year.

Now, which cable channel’s going to be brave enough to delve into the legend known as The Tunnel?