Sun Ra: Do The Impossible, dir. Christine Turner, US 2025, 87 mins
Book tickets
Poet, philosopher, Egyptologist, bandleader. Jazz visionary Sun Ra was all of these – and more. With his ever-evolving band, the Sun Ra Arkestra, he produced more than 200 albums, stretching the boundaries of free-form jazz while weaving ancient Egypt, interstellar metaphors, and scientific musings into a singular musical and spiritual vision of Afrofuturism that continues to reverberate across generations.
Director Christine Turner takes us on an illuminating journey through the life of this multi-faceted artist, gracefully balancing recollections from the Arkestra’s still-devout band members and dancers with insightful interviews from music scholars, and unforgettable film and performance footage of Sun Ra himself. The result is a portrait – informative, inspiring, and mind-bending – of a man whose audacious vision, otherworldly imagination, and uncompromising artistry helped shape not only the sound of jazz, but the cultural landscape of the 20th century and beyond.
Director Christine Turner takes us on an illuminating journey through the life of this multi-faceted artist, gracefully balancing recollections from the Arkestra’s still-devout band members and dancers with insightful interviews from music scholars, and unforgettable film and performance footage of Sun Ra himself. The result is a portrait – informative, inspiring, and mind-bending – of a man whose audacious vision, otherworldly imagination, and uncompromising artistry helped shape not only the sound of jazz, but the cultural landscape of the 20th century and beyond.
Presented in association with ROVR LDN & Resonance FM, as a part of Sun Ra Day.
Last year Earth Libraries instigated the city of Birmingham, Alabama's official Sun Ra’ ”arrival” day. This year the festival expands to link Birmingham to London, with satellite events in the form of a exhibition record store specials, talks & 24 Ra hour radio programming & two film premieres.
Last year Earth Libraries instigated the city of Birmingham, Alabama's official Sun Ra’ ”arrival” day. This year the festival expands to link Birmingham to London, with satellite events in the form of a exhibition record store specials, talks & 24 Ra hour radio programming & two film premieres.
Book tickets
Thu, 21 May 2026
Cinema 1
08:45 pm
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Cinema 1
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