Sun Ra Arkestra's Cosmic Visions on Screen

Emilija Škarnulytė's new film, "Sounds of the Desert," offers a cinematic exploration of the Sun Ra Arkestra, a pioneering avant-garde jazz ensemble. The documentary focuses on the lives and cosmic philosophies of musicians Abshalom Ben Shlomo, who passed away in 2024, and the still-performing Marshall Allen, aged 102.

The film weaves together interviews, archival materials, and live performances, set against diverse landscapes significant to the Arkestra's journey. These include locations in Philadelphia, Chicago, a Lithuanian forest, and the Negev Desert, all resonating with the ensemble's distinctive sound.

"Sounds of the Desert" is scheduled for its world premiere on November 18 in Estonia, at the 30th Black Nights Film Festival. Founded by Sun Ra in Chicago during the mid-1950s, the Arkestra fused avant-garde music with cosmic philosophy, becoming a key influence on Afrofuturism and the concept of outer space as a domain of Black liberation.

Filmmaker Škarnulytė described her friendship with Abshalom Ben Shlomo as a gateway into the Arkestra's universe, where music preserves memory and imagination fosters alternative ways of living. She aimed to capture the echoes between people, landscapes, and histories, portraying the Arkestra's cosmos as a source of strength to engage with and transform the world.