Today the new SUN RA documentary, SUN RA: Door Of The Cosmos, has officially launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to complete production on the film which has already been in progress for over six years, with director Drew DeNicola (BIG STAR: Nothing Can Hurt Me) at the helm, along with executive producers Marshall Allen, Ronnie Boyd and Gill Holland. The Kickstarter page also offers a first look at the film in the form of an 8 minute sample reel. The reward tiers offer everything from an exclusive shirt from artist Jess Rotter to rare SUN RA vinyl and prints of rare SUN RA archival photos. The soundtrack will be released via Stones Throw Records (more info on that later!).
ABOUT THE FILM
"Vaudeville surrealist," bandleader and innovator, the celestial being, SUN RA fell to Planet Earth to teach the boundless power of music and to reveal and reclaim a lost history and identity for Black Culture. Though extensively studied and recorded, Sun Ra remains one of the 20th Century’s most mysterious and misunderstood geniuses.
SUN RA: Door Of The Cosmos will be the first historically complete portrait of the origin, impact and living legacy of SUN RA and his ARKESTRA. Part oral history, part audio-visual feast, and concert performance, SUN RA: Door Of The Cosmos will bring the 60-year history of the Arkestra together with a meditative sensory experience featuring artifacts from the SUN RA Estate including interviews, poetry-readings and philosophical musings to deliver a sort of "midnight movie" theatrical journey through the SUN RA Omniverse.
WHY NOW?
Many dozens of musicians have passed through the SUN RA ARKESTRA over the nearly 70-year span of the group. There are only a handful remaining who can tell the full story and sadly many have passed away over the course of the production of this film. Fortunately for this project, we have been granted the opportunity to showcase the miracle - that is Marshall Allen, who at 100 years old is still leading the band. He has been a veteran of the ARKESTRA since 1958, and is still playing live solo and in the studio with artists as diverse as Laurie Anderson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kronos Quartet, Lonnie Holley and Wolf Eyes. Marshall continues to transmit the legacy and ethos of SUN RA to the world and a new cohort of artists across genres and generations. From his Philadelphia home which has functioned as the Arkestra residence and rehearsal space since 1968, Marshall is the custodian of the last living archive of SUN RA history. The timing of this piece is vital as we collaborate with Marshall and his son, Ronnie in their endeavor to archive and preserve the house and its contents for future generations.
