Introduced by Roger K. Burton
Space is the Place is a rare, unmissable trash culture sci fi classic. Starring the Afrofuturism jazz star Sun Ra, this loosely based biopic offers the uninitiated a tantalising glimpse into his fantastical world. Born in 1914 as Herman Poole Blount, he had a vision in his thirties that he had somehow originated from Saturn and promptly changed his name to Sun Ra. Dressed from then on in elaborate Egyptian-inspired papal robes, and arriving in a music-powered space ship, he spent the next 50 years on a mission to enlighten the world with his unique experimental music, and save the black race from social injustice by starting an all-black colony in the sky, while recruiting a legion of fans along the way.
USA 1974. Dir. John Coney. With Barbara Deloney, Sun Ra, Raymond Johnson, Marshall Allen. Costumes William S. Jones, Jill Percival.
Roger K. Burton is an established costume designer (Quadrophenia, Vigo), founder of The Horse Hospital and The Contemporary Wardrobe Collection. He is also one of the co-founders of the Fashion in Film Festival.