Films at PhxArt: Killer of Sheep

A quiet revelation of American independent filmmaking, Charles Burnett’s lyrical debut feature unfolds as a mosaic of Black life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders), a father worn down by his job in a slaughterhouse, and his wife (Kaycee Moore) seek moments of tenderness in the face of myriad disappointments. Equally attuned to the world of children and that of adults, Burnett—acting as director, writer, producer, cinematographer, and editor—finds poetry amid everyday struggles in indelible images that glow with compassionate beauty.

Largely unseen for decades following its completion in 1977, Killer of Sheep is now recognized as a touchstone of the groundbreaking LA Rebellion movement, and a masterpiece that brought Black American lives to the screen with an aching intimacy like no film before.

You may also like the following events from Phoenix Art Museum:

• Next Sunday, 3rd August, 01:00 pm, CatVideoFest 2025 in Phoenix
• Next month, 7th August, 06:00 pm, National Theatre Live: Fleabag in Phoenix
• Next month, 10th August, 01:00 pm, National Theatre Live: Fleabag in Phoenix

Also check out other Arts events in Phoenix, Entertainment events in Phoenix, Literary Art events in Phoenix.