»Space is The Place«

»Space is the Place« is not only a cult film, but also a key work of Afrofuturism. As the whole world embraced progress and technology after the Second World War, a unique strand of that movement emerged in the Afro-American community, incorporating the utopia of a free and just world. The non-conformist Sun Ra, who also composed the soundtrack to the film, became a leading figure in that movement. He blended cosmic music and science fiction with the visual language of ancient African cultures: space as a place of self-empowerment for a black minority. »Sun Ra plays keyboards in the spaceship, his cosmic jazz is the fuel«, writes Titel Kulturmagazin. »The film is a trip – a mad, magical, psychedelic frenzy.« In Zeise Kinos, the digitised film is now being given its screening.

If you want to dive even deeper into Sun Ra’s sound, don’t miss the concert by his legendary Sun Ra Arkestra in the Elbphilharmonie on 13 November 2022 – or the other events in the »Afrofuturism« spotlight.

Elbphilharmonie+ is a programme that opens up different ways of looking at the music performed at the Elbphilharmonie – either to supplement a concert, or as an experience in its own right. Interdisciplinary encounters and exhibitions form part of the Elbphilharmonie+ programme, as do concert talks and films shown in museums, libraries, cinemas and community centres.