A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to help fund the completion of a documentary on Sun Ra.
Directed by filmmaker Drew DeNicola and in the making for the last six years, the independent film, titled Sun Ra: Door Of The Cosmos, is billed as a part-oral history of the life and work of the legendary jazz musician and his Arkestra. It’s been put together with the help of longtime Arkestra member Marshall Allen.
The film takes in interviews, concert footage, poetry readings and never-before-heard music, among other ephemera, in order to tell Sun Ra’s unique story. Its soundtrack will be released via the Stones Throw label, with full details of that record set to be revealed at a later date.
A note shared via the Kickstarter page outlining the need for further funding reads: “By building relationships with filmmakers and photographers we have already secured and licensed very favourable deals through profit-sharing arrangements to feature the incredible array of archival material across the decades. We have a list of essential interviews to gather up with people whose tenure dates back to the 50s and 60s.
“We have a small and nimble crew, ready to get out and meet with these folks to create a thorough and nuanced oral history for the film. This, of course, involves cost of travel, rentals, and production support.”
You can find out more about Sun Ra: Door Of The Cosmos, and support the funding campaign, via the Kickstarter page.
