Introduction
Harry Belafonte is almost impossible to introduce without mentioning Day-O. The legendary performer became a global superstar through music, film, and television, but his cultural legacy ultimately stretched far beyond entertainment. For decades, Belafonte used his fame, money, and influence to fight injustice, stand alongside civil-rights leaders, and encourage others to use their own platforms for meaningful change. Following Harry, the new documentary from filmmaker Susanne Rostock, is less interested in revisiting the familiar story of Belafonte the entertainer than in examining the man he became in his later years: mentor, activist, listener, and tireless advocate for the next generation.
Rostock knew Belafonte well. Having previously directed Sing Your Song, her acclaimed documentary about his life as an artist and activist, she subsequently shared an office with him and continued filming as he engaged with a new generation of activists and artists. What began as an ongoing relationship gradually became a record of Belafonte’s final twelve years, capturing private conversations, public protests and the remarkable parade of people who came through his door seeking his advice.
The film’s central idea comes directly from Belafonte himself: each generation should learn from those who came before, take what is useful, improve upon it and continue the fight against injustice. That philosophy also explains the film’s title. Rostock wasn’t simply following Harry; she was documenting the people who would have to continue without him.
Interview
Cinema Scholars’ own Glen Dower spoke with Susanne Rostock about the origins of Following Harry, the extraordinary access she had to Belafonte, his relationship with younger activists, the celebrities who sought his counsel, and why she refuses to predict what Harry would say about today’s political movements.
Glen Dower:
Ms. Rostock, how are you, ma’am?
Susanne Rostock:
I’m very well. How are you?
Glen Dower:
I’m very good, and I’m very happy to be talking to you about this amazing documentary, Following Harry. It wasn’t what I expected, and it was a real pleasure from start to finish. I was left enthralled, exhausted, and wanting to know more. Tell us about your role as writer, director, and producer on Following Harry.
Susanne Rostock:
Well, I had made a film about Harry Belafonte called Sing Your Song, and at the end of that film, Harry looked around at the world in 2009 and said, “What do we do now?” He felt something was coming. At that point, he also invited me to come and share an office with him. He was moving into a new office. We talked at the end of each day. We’d have a little coffee, tea, rum sometimes, and just have a chat at my end of the office. He would come down there and talk to me. We were trying to figure out, “What do we do? Something’s happening.” Then a lot happened. When Trayvon Martin was murdered, Harry hit the ground running. I just started following him.
I was working on other films, but I had a crew and the capability to capture everything that was going on, not only in our office, but where Harry went outside the office, and where the other activists and artists who came in to share life with him went. So I followed them. It became this big quest of mine to not only follow Harry, but to preserve what would follow after he passed.
Because already at that point, he was in his 80s. And he continued, and he continued. He was just so remarkable. I felt so strongly that I had to capture all of this. So that’s my role as the producer, director, and editor. I edited the whole film. It was surprisingly hard to raise money. Frankie Nasso came in at some point to help save the day by bringing money in, because I was piggybacking on other projects and raising a little here and there.
Glen Dower:
These are the types of documentaries people need to see. Harry Belafonte is, of course, known to many people as a singer and performer. I was waiting for the moment when we’d hear “Day-O,” and it comes in around the fourth minute. That song is immortal. It’s been introduced to generations through Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice 2, and even through this documentary. I was watching it with my nine-year-old son, and the next day he was walking to school singing, “Come, Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana.” So there’s this fascinating contrast. Harry was a global superstar, perhaps known to generations primarily as a singer, but Following Harry is really about the activist. Was that always the focus?
Susanne Rostock:
Yeah, the real focus. The real focus is that Harry felt so strongly that every generation is responsible for itself. They need to learn from what came before, because there’s no sense of history. Instead of reinventing the wheel every time some crisis comes, learn and build on what’s happened before. So that’s really the thrust of it: to give hope and to work with love, because Harry was all about love and hope and compassion. I’ve witnessed, as has Harry and many of us, so much tragedy in life and so much injustice. And it makes so much sense to us to be kind and good and to want to have a good life.
There’s even a quote in the film where Harry says, “All black people really want to do is enjoy the universe.” Well, that’s true for all of us, and it’s oppression that gets in the way. And so this is a film about how to not let oppression get in the way and keep on fighting. There’s this wonderful Egyptian quote that someone shared with me when Harry died: “May his dreams become a reality in your lifetime.” The film is also that. May Harry’s dreams become a reality. And also to help young people understand that they have the power. We have the power to make a difference. So let’s use it.
Glen Dower:
That comes across throughout the film. At times it’s challenging because even Harry notes that things often only come to the fore when there’s a tragedy. And the documentary almost becomes a timeline of tragedy: you think, “Oh my goodness, this just gets worse and worse.” But then we spend time with Harry and the people around him, and he’s always the voice of reason in the room. He’s the calmest one. Everyone else is sometimes jumping out of their chairs saying, “We have to do something!” and Harry is saying, “Let’s do this. Let’s use this. Think about that.” That was so special. There’s also something remarkable about the way you’ve made the film. There are no conventional title cards and no narrator. It’s simply following Harry. What was it like being in a room with all these young people who were in awe of him? What was it like capturing that?
Susanne Rostock:
It was exciting to see! But what was especially exciting to see was how he listened. I don’t show it that much in the film, but he would occasionally be wrong. And he would admit it. He would have a different take on things, but he would listen and hear the explanation from the young people who had boots on the ground. And he often, when he was able, would put his boots on the ground as well, and travel and be there. As you see, going down to Florida was a very brave thing to do. What you also see is how courageous the young people are in doing what they do. Harry always put his life on the line. He did not live in luxury. He was a very modest man and really gave his life and his money to the movement, to create change.
Harry was hoping to encourage more celebrities to do the same, because the power of celebrity is enormous. That was one of his driving forces. He had many driving forces, but getting celebrities to use their power and getting young people to recognize their power were his two main pushes. He just worked so hard to do that. Which is why his office was always open. It was an open door.
What you see is what I was just filming; what was happening there. None of that was staged. He would be there with open arms and embrace people, physically embrace them. He was just always there. And he would always pick up the phone. When Sean Pica, in the prison story, says, “I called up to speak to Harry Belafonte and expected to get a secretary, and I got Harry,” that was true. He was just accessible, always. Fortunately, he lived a long life, but it did take its toll. It was exhausting.
Glen Dower:
I want to go back to what you said about ‘celebrity’. There’s a wonderful moment at the NAACP Image Awards where Harry is speaking, and you have this who’s-who of celebrities, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and then the camera stops on Jamie Foxx. You can actually see his mind completely switch. It’s almost as if he’s thinking, “What have I been doing?” What was it like meeting Jamie Foxx and having people like him and Rosario Dawson involved?
Susanne Rostock:
It was very interesting to see how humbled someone like Jamie Foxx was and how truly moved he was. And I didn’t go out and seek Jamie Foxx. He came to us. I just filmed what was happening there. He brought his 16-year-old daughter. It was very important for him that his daughter meet Harry. And Mos Def and people like that would come to the office, and Bruce Springsteen. You never knew who you were going to meet there, who came to talk to Harry about life and how they could do better.
Prince used to come and have these private sessions with Harry because he really, really wanted to do more, to do better, to use his power. So it was very interesting to see because these people have all the money in the world and they have these fairytale lives, and yet they wanted more and they wanted to do more. They lived in such an insular world, so they had to step out of that to come to Harry for a dose of reality. They couldn’t find it within their own world. I’m hoping the film will continue to do that work.
I would love to get more celebrities on board to promote the film, to widen that audience. I’m also working very hard to widen it with the young population, which is where I reside, within the universities and community groups, and the wonderful community groups that exist. We’re trying to unite them, actually, getting all the leaders of these millions of community groups to talk to each other, to work together and build because we need all of us. There’s more power together than separate. And I’m hoping the film can do that, be a unifying catalyst for that.
Glen Dower:
Harry left us a few years ago at the age of 96. He was around for Black Lives Matter, which was an important movement to him, but what do you think he would have made of the No Kings protests and movements like that?
Susanne Rostock:
Well, it’s very hard to predict what Harry would think, so I can’t say. I know he would have something to say and he would want to be in discussion. He would invite those groups, as he always has, into his office to discuss and maybe try to bring the different sides together. That’s very much what he did. That’s why he had a big office, because he wanted to have that center to be able to do that. I don’t like to predict what he would say, but I know what he would do.
Glen Dower:
We can only be positive and use his worldly wisdom. He is much missed, but again, he lives on through his music and through amazing pieces like this documentary. Susanne, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you so much for your time. And, as you say, we’re trying to get the word out for Following Harry. Much deserved.
Susanne Rostock:
Thank you, Glen, and thank you for your interest.
Following Harry premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2024 and has gone on to screenings at venues and festivals including the Pan-African Film & Arts Festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sidewalk Film Festival, and the Global Peace Film Festival. The film is now heading to digital platforms including Prime Video and Apple TV from October 13th, alongside community screenings and educational licensing.
