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. Killer of Sheep was restored and remastered by UCLA Film & Television Archive, Milestone Films, and the Criterion Collection. New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Charles Burnett, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack Audio commentary featuring Burnett and film scholar Richard Pe a New interviews with Burnett and actor Henry Gayle Sanders New appreciation by filmmaker Barry Jenkins Two short films by Burnett: Several Friends (1969) and The Horse (1973), with a new introduction to the latter by Burnett Excerpt from the 2010 UCLA LA Rebellion Oral History Project, featuring an interview with Burnett by film scholar Jacqueline Stewart A Walk with Charles Burnett (2019), a documentary by Robert Townsend Documentary by Ross Lipman on 2007 cast reunion Trailer English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing PLUS: An essay by critic Danielle Amir Jackson Package design by Slang Inc. with Eric Skillman