JUNE 2025

This June, the Philosophical Research Society celebrates our beloved city’s rich and diverse past with YesterdayLA, a month-long exploration of unique stories and works of art that have become part of the fabric of Los Angeles history.
The landscape of our city is changing faster than ever before. By examining the LA of yesterday, we invite Angelenos to gather together to not only look back but forward to the possibilities of our great city’s tomorrow.
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Throughout its 90+ year history The Philosophical Research Society has stood as a sanctuary for those seeking truth and enlightenment, with its doors open to Angelenos who have created great works of art and innovation, political movements, and spiritual evolutions across the eras. YesterdayLA will explore the fascinating stories of our city’s past with the continued spirit of curiosity that has stood as the pillar of PRS’s mission.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH

A Presentation on Art Deco in Los Angeles by Robert Landau n the PRS Library!
7PM AUTHOR TALK
We're excited to collaborate with the fantastic Angel City Press to present a lecture by Robert Landau on Art Deco in LA to celebrate the release of his upcoming book on this very subject.

​Art Deco Los Angeles by Robert Landau is a stunning photographic tour through one of the most glamorous architectural eras of the City of Angels. Released just in time to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes—the 1925 Paris exhibition that defined the Art Deco movement—this book pays tribute to the enduring legacy of this bold and luxurious style.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH

WATTSTAX 
7:30PM ​SCREENING
So much more than a concert film, WATTSTAX is one of cinema’s most indelible documents of an LA community, its people, its jubilance, its struggles and resolve.

7th House Screenings is proud to present Mel Stuart’s monumental 1973 documentary that captures legendary Watts Summer Festival, performances by some of the biggest names in 70s soul and R&B, and a vibrant collage of the people of the Watts neighborhood.

Organized by Memphis R&B and soul label Stax Records, the epic August ‘72 festival – held at Los Angeles Coliseum – commemorated the 7th anniversary of the Watts Riots, the 1965 uprising against the racist violence and abuse the Black community suffered at the hands of the LAPD, as well as the residential segregation, discrimination, and poverty that plagued LA. Stax’s West Coast director Forrest Hamilton and its president Al Bell saw the fest as an opportunity not to promote their artists, but to bring the people of Watts, and all of LA, together for a gathering of unity, uplift, and celebration.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST

YesterdayLA
​Los Angeles History Symposium
1PM - 7PM PRESENTATIONS
We proudly present a day long symposium with presentations by Los Angeles scholars and experts on fascinating topics – from vintage slideshows, to LA’s astrological origins, to the mysteries of its longstanding cultural institutions, to Hollywood’s history of Black cinema, and more!

Symposium passes and individual tickets available below!

SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND

Thom Andersen's
​LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF with Thom Andersen in Person!
7PM ​SCREENING + Q&A
Los Angeles Filmforum and 7th House are proud to present one of the greatest films - documentary or non - about our so-called "City of Dreams," Thom Andersen's monumental masterpiece LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF (2003-2014), with the director joining us in person!

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its striking architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes the viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, spanning nearly 100 years, from the silent era to modern times.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25TH

SoCal Authors in Conversation: Barret Baumgart, Kate Maruyama, Mike Sonksen & Desiree Zamorano in the PRS Library!
7PM AUTHOR TALK
We welcome four Southern California authors to the library at the PRS to have a conversation about their works, Southern California, and so much more!

THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH

Whirlybird with Filmmaker Matt Yoka in person, moderated by Tom Carroll!
7PM SCREENING + Q&A
7th House presents an extra special screening of the 2020 documentary Whirlybird with director Matt Yoka joining us in person to discuss the film with Tom Carroll of "Tom Explores LA!"

Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as Bob) covered some of the city’s most dramatic events and changed breaking news forever. An entirely unique view of Los Angeles presented through stunning aerial footage and remarkable home videos, WHIRLYBIRD reframes many of the city’s pivotal moments, including the L.A. riots and the O.J. Simpson pursuit.

FRIDAY, JUNE 27TH

Charles Burnett's MY BROTHER'S WEDDING with an introduction by Maya S. Cade!
7PM SCREENING
Unfinished and unreleased for nearly 25 years, MY BROTHER’S WEDDING (1983) is a brilliant, underseen gem of American neorealism that stands as an incredible portrait of South Central LA and its characters' everyday hopes, dreams, and dilemmas.

The follow up to his acclaimed 1978 debut KILLER OF SHEEP – one of the greatest Los Angeles films, which garnered praise (...though not distribution) for the director and established the UCLA-born LA Rebellion movement of Black filmmakers as a new, singular cinematic force. 

​For this special presentation of this underscreened and underseen jewel of Los Angeles cinema, 7th House is proud to welcome Maya S. Cade, the creator and curator of Black Film Archive – and incoming president/owner of Milestone Films, the distribution company that made the film’s completion and release a reality – for an introduction to discuss Burnett and the film’s importance, troubled history, and legacy.

SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH

Stephen Gee Presents
​A Talk on John Parkinson: Iconic Vision
7PM AUTHOR TALK
We're thrilled to welcome author Stephen Gee to do a presentation in our historic library at the PRS on iconic architect and historic Angeleno John Parkinson!

John Parkinson was the most important architect in Los Angeles at a time when the city was inventing itself. His work includes many of the structures that four decades after his death continue to define the city. Until Stephen Gee wrote the definitive biography, Iconic Vision: John Parkinson, Architect of Los Angeles, however, few people really knew the innovations and impact Parkinson made while designing the architectural foundation of the City of Angels. Turn almost any corner downtown and you'll see Parkinson's stamp.

SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH

Allison Anders' MI VIDA LOCA with Allison Anders in person!
7PM ​SCREENING + Q&A
Marking the finale of PRS's YesterdayLA, 7th House Screenings and El Cine welcome trailblazing filmmaker Allison Anders for a very special screening of her 1993 landmark independent film MI VIDA LOCA, followed by a discussion on the powerful film's making and legacy with El Cine's Mariana Da Silva and 7th House's Alex McDonald.

Set in Echo Park, MI VIDA LOCA film consists of several anecdotes about Latina teenagers who are “homegirls,” or girlfriends to gang members. Director Allison Anders’ film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993 and was released to acclaim in 1994, with critics applauding its realism. Anders worked with non-actors and Echo Park community members to create this realistic, difficult story about sisterhood and sacrifice, and it has since become a cult classic.