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PDF at Zoetropolis: Killer of Sheep
PDF at Zoetropolis: Killer of Sheep
June 18 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
PHILOSOPHY | DRINK | FILM presents KILLER OF SHEEP (1978) Thursday, June 18, 2026 6:30 PM Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse As America approaches its 250th birthday, our year-long film series explores the many stories that make up the American experience. The third film in our summer sequence on Community is Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep—widely regarded as one of the greatest American films ever made. Set in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, the film follows Stan, a slaughterhouse worker struggling to support his family while navigating the emotional weight of everyday life. Yet Burnett’s masterpiece is not simply a story about hardship. It is a deeply humane portrait of family, friendship, childhood, music, labor, and the resilience of community. Filmed with remarkable intimacy and poetic beauty, Killer of Sheep offers a vision of America rarely found in Hollywood cinema. Rather than focusing on famous figures or grand historical events, it asks us to attend to ordinary lives and everyday acts of care. In doing so, it expands our understanding of whose stories belong within the American narrative. The screening takes place on the eve of Juneteenth, making Burnett’s landmark film an especially fitting occasion to reflect on Black life, memory, and community in America. Professor Dennis Weiss will provide a brief introduction before the film and moderate an informal post-screening discussion afterward. Come early for dinner, drinks, and conversation. Tickets available through Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse.
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