German Soul: Live Preview & Community Fundraiser
October 7, 2026 @ 5:30PM — 7:30PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) Add to Calendar
Transfer Co. Ballroom: 500 E Davie St Raleigh, NC 27601 Get Directions
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Are the roots of soul food wearing lederhosen?
Grammy-winning artist and ethnobotanist Justin Robinson went looking for the real story of soul food, from the Carolinas to Berlin to West Africa. His body led the way. The deeper he went, the more his research confirmed what his stomach had been saying all along. Now he needs to figure out who he is, how we got here and what the hell he’s supposed to have for lunch.
GERMAN SOUL is a hybrid live documentary experience blending film, narration, music, and flavors. This evening is a behind-the-scenes community preview and invitation to support this work at an early stage in development, with plans for a 2028 release.
"The South was never one story. It was always layered, multilingual, multiethnic, and most of us were simply never taught that. German Soul is giving that real picture a stage, and I am proud to be part of it.” — Rhiannon Giddens, Executive Producer
Watch the project trailer and learn more at GERMANSOUL.LIVE
What to expect
A behind-the-scenes preview of the show in progress with live music, film and passed bites from Chef Jake Wolf. These will be tastings, not dinner — the food hall is open until 9:00 if you want to make a night of it. The evening will include a game of "Guess That Dish" with special guest Chef Cheetie Kumar.
Where your money goes
Proceeds support a fall creative residency at UNC Greensboro's Tannenbaum Center for Creative Practice and further production in Germany and the Carolinas in 2027.
Supporter tickets go further. Admission is valued at $10 per guest. The rest may be tax-deductible: $45 of a Side Dish ticket, $245 of a Main Dish ticket, and $1,480 of a Whole Hog ticket.
$10 of each ticket represents the fair market value of admission and is not tax-deductible. Amounts above that may be deductible as a charitable contribution. German Soul is fiscally sponsored by the Southern Documentary Fund, a 501(c)(3).
Co-presented with Raleigh Sister Cities and Transfer Co. Food Hall.
Space is limited to 150
**Event Tickets and Event donations are non-refundable. If the event is canceled, all proceeds will go to the sponsored project. If the event is rescheduled, the event contact will contact you with rescheduling details.