One of Chicago’s greatest musical success stories is getting the Questlove treatment. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson opened the 25th Tribeca Festival with Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World), a vibrant, decades-spanning documentary chronicling the rise of the legendary band founded by Chicago native Maurice White.
The film premiered Wednesday night at New York’s Beacon Theatre, followed by a live performance from Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots — a fitting celebration for a group whose music continues to fill dance floors, arenas and wedding receptions more than five decades after its formation.
For Chicago audiences, the documentary serves as both a celebration and a homecoming.
Before Earth, Wind & Fire became one of the best-selling bands in music history, White was a South Side musician working at Chess Records and performing with the Ramsey Lewis Trio. White formed the group in 1969, blending soul, jazz, funk, spirituality and Afrofuturism into a sound unlike anything audiences had heard before. The band would go on to become one of the most influential acts in popular music, earning six Grammy Awards and selling more than 90 million records worldwide.
Questlove traces that journey from its humble beginnings to the band’s spectacular peak, when Earth, Wind & Fire became known for massive stadium shows filled with pyrotechnics, elaborate staging, soaring musicians, mystical imagery and larger-than-life theatricality.
The documentary explores White’s childhood, creative vision, and relentless ambition through interviews with family members, bandmates, and close friends while examining how Earth, Wind & Fire evolved into a cultural phenomenon. Along the way, Questlove peppers the film with psychedelic visual flourishes, animated sequences, rare archival footage, and unforgettable concert performances.
The result is both a history lesson and a celebration.
The film also features commentary from a wide range of admirers and artists influenced by the band, including Barack and Michelle Obama, Lionel Richie, Flea and Stevie Wonder, all reflecting on the group’s enduring impact on music and culture.
More importantly, Questlove never loses sight of what made Earth, Wind & Fire special in the first place: joy.
Filled with wall-to-wall music, dazzling visuals and enough infectious energy to make audiences want to jump out of their seats, the documentary captures both the highs and lows of the band’s remarkable journey while reminding viewers why songs like September, Shining Star, Fantasy, Boogie Wonderland and Let’s Groove remain timeless.
Part concert film, part biography and part love letter, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) stands as a fitting tribute to one of Chicago’s most influential musical exports — and another impressive addition to Questlove’s growing résumé as one of the most compelling music documentarians working today. Watch the trailer below:
Look for it on HBO Max later this month.
CREDITS:
Director
- Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Producers
- Dave Sirulnick
- Samantha Grogin
- KB White
- Arron Saxe
- Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
Executive Producers
- Jon Kamen
- Cheo Hodari Coker
- Karla Zambrano
- Zarah Zohlman
- Shawn Gee
- Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter
- Amos Newman
- Nancy Abraham
- Lisa Heller
- Sara Rodriguez
Associate Producers
- Amina Sutton
- Conor Schlosser
Editors
- Andrew Morrow
- Matt Cascella
- Tim Ziegler
Cinematographer
- Emily Topper
Music
- Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
- Ray Angry
Sound
- R. Hollis Smith
- Jimmy Douglass
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