Main Event

Sun Ra Birthday Celebration: Screening of Sun Ra: Do the Impossible

Venue

4 Star Theater

Address

2200 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States

Dates and Times

Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 4:45 PM to 6:45 PM. The film screening begins at 4:45 PM, followed by a Q&A session.

Collaborators

Director Christine Turner

Activity Description

This event is the first part of a Sun Ra Birthday Celebration, featuring a screening of the newly released PBS American Masters Documentary "Sun Ra: Do the Impossible." The film, directed by Christine Turner, explores the life of Sun Ra, a jazz visionary, poet, philosopher, Egyptologist, and bandleader. Sun Ra, with his band the Sun Ra Arkestra, produced over 200 albums, blending free-form jazz with ancient Egypt, interstellar metaphors, and scientific musings to create a unique musical and spiritual vision of Afrofuturism. The documentary includes recollections from Arkestra members and dancers, interviews with music scholars, and film and performance footage of Sun Ra, presenting an informative, inspiring, and mind-bending portrait of his artistic impact. A Q&A session with Director Christine Turner will follow the screening.