Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a celebration of Blackness and Afro-futurism as shown through an icon living her life as she damn well pleases. Join us for our annual Juneteenth screening at the Castro.

Space travel is in a Black woman’s blood, due to the ability to adapt to alien environments and survive dangerous journeys. This is legendary poet Nikki Giovanni’s philosophy and the premise behind this personal yet visually adventurous portrait of her legacy.

Giovanni is contemplative and complex, from the “Thug life” tattoo honoring Tupac adorning her forearm to the direct, unapologetic clip of her voice that makes her words as a witness to the shared experiences of Black women, in particular, both timely and timeless.

As we follow her to various public appearances and learn more about her family and partner, the toll of aging, and her evolving activism, we are gifted with past readings of her work by both the poet herself and executive producer Taraji P. Henson, interspersed with images of space exploration and archival footage of historical events that shaped Giovanni’s worldview.