A “live documentary” by the filmmaking team Sam Green and Joe Bini, A Thousand Thoughts is a true celebration of collaboration in media ("live documentary") and joyful art-making. At Guild Hall this week, in a production with the Hamptons International Film Festival, Sam Green narrated the Kronos Quartet history in a film, in the presence of the string quartet, performing on violins, viola, cello, and for one selection, water-filled glassware. That’s the live part. The players, David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt, and Sunny Yang, accompany themselves and the many artists who have worked with them, including Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, and Laurie Anderson, present on this dynamic night.

First, an origin story: violinist David Harrington wanted to reimagine the string quartet experience 45 years ago, opening up the image from four guys in tuxes, to reflect a changing world. Photos show the players over time, long-haired, in body suits looking like Star Trek space travelers. They were crafting their image as well as sound.

Second, shaping sound and incorporating the work of various artists: yes they could play with Philip Glass’ percussive repetitions, or John Zorn’s “Meditation.” Most surprising was the Inuk Canadian throat singer Tanya Tagaq, who performed an excerpt from “Sivunittinni,” an evocation of howling, grunting, pained and ecstatic, non-human sound.

Kronos did inspire a thousand thoughts and more, how many experimenting in sound, such as William S. Burroughs and others, might have worked with these explorers in artistic frontiers. Composer Carter Burwell summed it up: who wouldn’t want to work with them?