A-must-witness-together-in-the-cinema feature film that zeroes in on the beginning of Sun Ra's story, in Birmingham, Alabama, USA and explores the soil and stars at that juncture of earth's history. The film gets deep into all those juicy in-between zones -  into the folds and creases of place, as well as the people, the collectivity and the connectivity that gave rise to one of this universes's greatest ever musician. A bandleader, pioneer and icon adored by Thundercat, Mats Gustaffson, Moodymann, Gilles Peterson, and Yo Lo Tengo amongst millions of others.

Following the film, the writer, poet & historian Edson Burton sits in with Pablo Guarise & Guillaume Maupin, the film's directors, for reflections & questions. In 2014 Edson curated the influential Afrofuturism season at the Watershed, including an infamous late night screening of Sun Ra’s Space Is the Place, so it’s a real honour to have Edson host this special screening & West Country Premiere.

In the bar, DJ Fat Paul selects from a personal collection of 200+ Sun Ra releases/bootlegs & trades. Tune in.

Join us at 7pm for a walking musical ensemble. The procession will wind the Celestial Roads up & around the surrounding neighbourhood of The Cube Microplex, weaving & returning to take our seats before the film (8pm). All welcome to join, to walk & share in, to play, to sing, photograph & film, dance or bring an instrument.

Tim Hill , the Somerset noise maker who draws on groove-based free improvisation, traditional music and ritual sound, conducts our merry walking ensemble. With voice, baritone saxophone & an assemblage of other instruments, Tim has many years experience creating outdoor celebrations, theatre and street music, revelling in traditions of ritual, processions, street bands and folk noise. He has played with samba bands around Stonehenge, on the back of trucks at Notting Hill Carnival & led giants through the streets of London, Dublin and Galway.

“muscular playing… somewhere between Johnny Hodges and Dudu Pukwana” – Phillip Clarke, The Wire

Street music, community noise & the people’s song, channeling the glow of Sun Ra’s vision within our own city.

The Magic City is a playful and flamboyant musical film shot in 16mm. It's a vivid, imaginative & street level portrait that searches for clues to Sun Ra’s future work and finds a city alive with music and rotten with segregation.

Between the years 1914 and 1993 Sun Ra (with the Arkestra and others) created vast swathes of music, art, poems and films: Windy City Doo Wop, DIY forays into outer-jazz regions, Afro-futuristic visions, mystical Egyptian modal workouts, spacey disco freak out. A desire to produce, distribute, rehearse and play was done with a conviction and ethic that has created a supernatural aura around his work ever since. 

His life and work have become hugely loved, replicated and reissued but his foundations are often bypassed – not here. This is the film to see, not only to wonder at his esoteric roots but to see how his legacy is played out, today, in the City. It's a piece of cinema that shows and values community and in that sense we trust we are in good hands. The film does not present Sun Ra as a visionary outsider, but rather as an ingenious musician participating in a rich and creative scene, part of an ancient musical tradition.