The Sky Socialist (1965/1988) by Ken Jacobs
Thursday, November 17, 1988, 8:00 pm
The Sky Socialist by Ken Jacobs
Ken Jacobs in person
Ken Jacobs (Blonde Cobra; Tom, Tom, the Piper’s Son, etc.) remains one of the transformative figures of the American independent cinema whose films, performances, and teachings have been inspirational for so many throughout this country during his 30 years of activity. As part of his first appearance in the Bay Area in nearly 15 years, Jacobs will present two evenings of recently completed work at the Cinematheque. The Sky Socialist (90 min., 16mm blown up from regular 8mm, 1965/1988) is the final version of one of Jacobs’ major films, a rhapsody in loose narrative form to the Brooklyn Bridge, lower Manhattan, his wife Flo, and the cultural mood of the period. “As the title suggests, The Sky Socialist is a movie of mystical faith. Jacobs believes that complex stories, subtle emotional states, and even theories of history can be represented through purely visual means.” — J. Hoberman