Acclaimed producer, director, and musician Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson tells the story of the legendary nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winning band Earth, Wind & Fire, 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.
Drawing from the band’s rich visual, audio, and written archives, including never-before-seen footage, the film plays like an experiential kaleidoscope of images, colors, and music, transporting viewers to the vibrancy of live performances that have electrified fans past and present. Through 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. Constantly reinventing and adapting to the changing times, White pushed the limits of creativity and theatricality, occasionally at the expense of personal relationships, but always in service to his elaborate showmanship and the music. EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS. THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD) is a loving celebration of a complex artist, the enduring legacy of an iconic sound that spans decades, and a joyful tribute to the band’s far-reaching cultural impact.
Featured Participants: 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 HBO Original documentary EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS. THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD), produced and directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (“Summer of Soul”), debuts SUNDAY, JUNE 7 at (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
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