Welcome, Space Brothers: The Films of the Unarius Academy of Science with Jodi Wille
Description
The Unarius Brotherhood were on a radical mission from the late-’70s to the mid-’80s to spread their “interdimensional science of life” and the principles of reincarnation to the masses via some of the most wildly inventive, waaaaay outside-the-box public access TV programming in America. Their cosmic leader, the exuberant septuagenarian Ruth Norman (aka Archangel Uriel), a clairvoyant with a fondness for glittery dresses, rainbow capes and benevolent aliens, permanently altered the minds of tens of thousands across the country—from late-night stoners to seekers leaving behind their lives in order to move to El Cajon, CA, and join the cause. As part of their outreach, the Unariuns created elaborate psychodramatic “documentaries” for the purpose of spiritual healing. Using otherworldly costumes and makeup, guerrilla location-filming techniques, elaborate sets and ingenious no-budget special effects, this ambitious collective produced some of the most mind-shattering, oddly uplifting gems of American outsider cinema. In this program, Unarius researcher, co-director of the documentary The Source Family (SFIFF 2012) and Cinefamily LA programmer Jodi Wille will guide us through Unarius’s history, present a Cinefamily mashup of the best of their videos and show the 1979 16mm-shot epic masterwork The Arrival with core Unariuns in attendance for a Q&A. —Cinefamily