THE ARRIVAL: FILMS OF THE UNARIUS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE

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 most wildly inventive, waaaaay outside-the-box public access TV programming in America. Their cosmic leader, the exuberant septuagenarian Ruth Norman (aka Archangel Uriel), an advanced 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 Unarians created elaborate psychodramatic “documentaries” for the purpose of spiritual healing: films of Uriel and the students channeling and re-enacting their previous lives together on Earth and other planets, no matter how debauched or outlandish — for spiritual healing. Utilizing otherworldly costumes and makeup, guerilla location-filming techniques, elaborate sets and ingenious no-budget special effects, this ambitious collective produced a legacy of some of the most mind-shattering, oddly uplifting gems of American outsider cinema.

The culmination of their philosophy is THE ARRIVAL, filmed on a shoestring budget with a time-bending plot, dazzling optical SFX, and a rousing synth score. THE ARRIVAL stands in luminous contrast to the overall darker, conspiratorial air of Eighties culture—and Unariuns claim the film serves as a catalyst to send viewers into transcended states of ecstasy.

Along with THE ARRIVAL we’ll be screening a 30-minute mixtape of rarely-seen iconic moments from the Unarius archive!