Space Is the Place
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.”
Generous support has been provided by Gerry Aitken, Richard Levy and Dinah Chetrit, and Anne Tucker and Robert Morris.
Space Is the Place
Directed by John Coney
(USA, 1974, 85 minutes, in English)
Brown Auditorium Theater, digital