50th Anniversary

Calling planet Earth! Jazz on Film presents a special 50th-anniversary screening of the Afrofuturist classic Space Is the Place. Avant-garde jazz mystic Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Myth-Science Arkestra land their yellow spaceship in Oakland offering an alter-destiny to Black youth, including battling the FBI, NASA, and a supernatural pimp named “The Overseer.”

This unique iteration of Ra’s musical concepts and social commentary is a blend of science fiction B-movie, blaxploitation flick, and concert documentary. Featuring Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, and June Tyson, the Arkestra performs pieces including “Watusi,” “Outer Spaceways, Inc.,” and “The Satellites Are Spinning.”