Documentary A Chronicle of My Cultural Revolution, June 8.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center, SilkScreen, and StartUpTown will present the film A Chronicle of My Cultural Revolution on June 8.

StartUpTown to present director Xu Xing’s film "A Chronicle of My Cultural Revolution." This documentary of personal experiences of the Cultural Revolution starts with the director’s own love story. The film will be followed by a short presentation by East Asian Librarian Haihui Zhang on the CR/10 project, a collection of memories and impressions of ordinary people and their experiences with China’s decade long Cultural Revolution.

The event will be held at the StartUptown: Paramount Film Exchange at 1727 Blvd. of the Allies (map). It is free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged.

Japanese rock group ONE OK ROCK at Mr. Smalls, August 6.

The Japanese rock group ONE OK ROCK will play at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale on August 6 as part of its Ambitions US Tour. The Chicago Tribune profiled the group last year ahead of their Pittsburgh concert.

One Ok Rock could easily be mistaken for an American band, which might actually be the point: The group's members love American pop-rock, and the sort of Hot Topic/Good Charlotte/Warped Tour punk that was popular circa 2005. Ask Taka what music he likes, and he'll cite acts such as Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and "a lot of emo stuff." The album "35xxxv" (pronounced "thirty-five") is a crisp, endearing, slightly dated homage to those bands; it sounds like an album of Bush-era Fall Out Boy outtakes.

. . .

To a small but vocal contingent of its Japanese fans, the band's preoccupation with stateside success was perceived as an abandonment of its roots ("Maybe they understand already?" Moriuchi says hopefully when asked how these fans feel now). Backlash or not, Moriuchi, having lived in southern California, isn't in a hurry to go back home. "The United States is so comfortable for me. I don't know how it is for the others, but for me it's so much better than Japan."

Tickets for the all-ages, 7:00 pm show are $25 online. Mr. Smalls Theatre is located at 400 Lincoln Ave. in Millvale (map).

My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) at Row House Cinema in late-July.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville will show Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 animated film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) as part of the Pittsburgh Children's Film Festival from July 28 to August 3. Tickets and showtime information have yet to be announced.

Douglas Paal and "US-China Relations in the Era of Donald Trump", June 8.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh will host Douglas Paal, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and his talk "US-China Relations in the Era of Donald Trump" on June 8.

Douglas H. Paal is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International (2006–2008) and was an unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan (2002–2006). He was on the National Security Council staffs of Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush between 1986 and 1993 as director of Asian Affairs and then as senior director and special assistant to the president.

The event runs from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Duquesne Club downtown (map). The cost is $20 for World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh members and $30 for non-members.

36th annual Pittsburgh Bonsai Show, June 3 and 4.

The Pittsburgh Bonsai Society will presents its 36th annual Pittsburgh Bonsai Show on June 3 and 4 at the Phipps Garden Center in Shadyside (map). The event is free and open to the public, though reservations are required for the workshops and fees are required for supplies.

Zhang Yimou's The Great Wall (长城) part of Cinema in the Park this August.

The 2016 Zhang Yimou film The Great Wall (长城) will play in two Pittsburgh parks this August as part of the annual Cinema in the Park series. Starring Matt Damon, Jing Ting, and Andy Lau, among others, it was the highest-grossing movie in China the week it was released. A South China Morning Post review provides a summary:

Damon plays William, an Irish mercenary who arrives at China’s Great Wall together with Spanish companion Tovar (Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal) just as it is besieged by a monstrous horde of Taotie – mythical beasts from the bowels of Hell, whom the Chinese believe were sent to keep their greed in check.
Initially the foreigners simply wish to flee with as much explosive “black powder” as they can carry, but after earning the respect of Commander Lin (Jing Tian), newly appointed leader of the wall’s Nameless Order, William agrees to stay and help defend the kingdom.

Early criticism that the film propagates the “white saviour” narrative and that Damon’s role was whitewashed both prove unfounded. William is a proficient warrior and willing collaborator, but it is Lin and Strategist Wang (Andy Lau) who discover the key to defeating the beasts and spearhead the pivotal assault.

It will play in Schenley Park on August 16 and at Riverview Park in Observatory Hill on August 19. Movies are free and open to the public, and begin at dusk.

Three Pitt student-athletes to visit Vietnam in Coach for College program.

Campers from the 2014 program, which also featured Pitt student-athletes (via the Coach for College Facebook group).

University of Pittsburgh student-athletes will visit Vietnam this summer as participants in the Coach for College program. From a May 24 press release:

Three University of Pittsburgh student-athletes are set to travel abroad to participate in the Coach for College program, including junior men's soccer player Craig Bair, sophomore cross-country runner Sarah Frick and junior softball player Olivia Gray.

Coach for College is service-learning program that brings together U.S. student-athletes and Vietnamese university students to teach academics, sports, and life skills at summer camps to disadvantaged children in rural Vietnam. The program provides sports infrastructure to youth who attend middle schools in rural parts of developing countries, and helps them develop excitement for and proficiency in science, leadership, language, and life skills using sports as a means to applied learning.

Mongolian-inspired "nomadic folk metal" band Tengger Cavalry in Lawrenceville, June 6.

The nomadic folk metal band Tengger Cavalry will play at Cattivo on June 6. The band's Facebook page describes the New York based group thus:

TENGGER CAVALRY have been turning heads in the music world since the band’s inception in 2010 they blend the nomadic music tradition of Central Asia with heavy metal, creating a unique genre of music known as Nomadic folk metal. Having sold out Carnegie Hall in a legendary performance and been featured in CNN, Vice, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal and the Village Voice, among countless others, the band is ready to take on the world.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm, 21-and-over show $12 to $14 online. Cattivo is located at 116 44th Street in Lawrenceville (map).

2016 Japanese film After the Storm (海よりもまだ深く) at Hollywood Theater, from June 16.

The 2016 Japanese film After the Storm (海よりもまだ深く) will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont from June 16. A summary from a March San Francisco Chronicle review:

Ryoto (Hiroshi Abe) has lost his mojo. Fifteen years earlier, his novel won a prestigious award, but he has yet to follow up on that success. He is divorced from Kyoko (Yoko Maki) and is behind on his child support — he is limited by the divorce settlement to visiting his son Shingo (Taiyo Yoshizawa) once a month.

He is also broke — probably because of the cost of the divorce and his gambling habit. With no follow-up novel in the works, he has taken a job with a private detective agency. As he gets the goods on his clients’ cheating significant others, he also examines his only life, which he is gradually realizing is a failure.

“I’m the ‘great talents bloom late’ kind,” Ryoto tells his mother, Yashiko (Kirin Kiki, who is excellent).

Not buying it for a second, Mom responds, “You’re taking too long to bloom.”

Unable to move on, Ryoto uses his private eye skills to spy on his ex-wife and her new boyfriend, who seems to be everything he is not — and a nice guy to boot. What could be a creepy sort of plot twist is, in Kore-eda’s hands, more of a sad desperation.

As with many of Kore-eda’s best films — “Maborosi” and “Still Walking,” among others — “After the Storm” has what the Japanese call mono no aware, which translates as “the pathos of things.” It is a film that is aware of the transient, impermanent nature of life.

Tickets and showtime information is not yet available. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Dragon Boat Festival returns to Pittsburgh with Dragon Fest 2017, June 10.

The Organization of Chinese Americans Pittsburgh Chapter is hosting Dragon Fest 2017 on June 10.

Come enjoy a summer afternoon with OCA members and family. Learn how to dragonboat alongside members of the Pittsburgh Paddlefish Dragon Boat team, and meet our Japan-America Society of Pittsburgh (JASP) and Taiwanese Association of America (TAA), Pittsburgh Chapter members and friends! We will have professional staff that will introduce the basics of dragon boating and a brief training session. After the training, we are planning on having teams compete in short races. Join us as a guest (must be an OCA, TAA, or JAS member), or apply as an individual rower or build your own team. All attendees will enjoy having a chance to sit in an authentic dragon boat, along with other crafts and activities for children. Lunch Bentos will be available for sale. Children 12 and under can receive dragon boat instruction, but will not be allowed to participate in the races. It’s never too late to get involved in a new hobby that's as much fun and exhilarating as dragon boating! Reservations required, all ages welcome!

The festival will be held atMillvale Riverfront Park in Millvale, across the river from Lawrenceville (map).

WESA-FM profiles cultures around Asian restaurants in Squirrel Hill.

Dr. Freddie Fu demonstrates his method of eating dumplings at Café 33 (via Margaret Sun of WESA).

WESA-FM has a lengthy profile on some of the Chinese restaurants in Squirrel Hill and the roles they provide as not only eateries but transmitters of culture.

Food is communication, [Café 33 owner Meiching] Tao explained, and a way to create understanding between different cultures. Challenging her customers to use chopsticks is just one way Tao tries to get westerners to experience her native cuisine.

“I want to share and teach about culture, because it’s an important part of who I am,” said Tao.

Still no news on Shadyside's Szechuan Spice.

It's been over a year since any progress has been made on Shadyside's Szechuan Spice, on the ground floor of Kennilworth Apartments. And it's been nearly two since a red canopy went up at 5700 Centre Ave. (map) to replace the long blue awning that once belonged to Jimmy Tsang's Chinese Restaurant, which occupied the space from 1982 to 2011.

Squirrel Hill's Bubble Pi to reopen under new management.

Bubble π [Pi] Baking Arts, the original Asian bakery in Squirrel Hill that closed earlier this month, is reopening under new management. It is currently selling coffee and buns---and is running a buy-one-get-one-free special---but plans a fuller menu of beverages and pastries at a yet-undecided future date.

Panda Supermarket (熊猫超市) coming to Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill.

A reader sends this photo of signage at 5846 Forbes Ave. for Panda Supermarket (熊猫超市), an Asian grocery coming to Squirrel Hill. It's located below Bangkok Balcony in what used to be a Levin Mattress store.

The only other Asian grocery store in the neighborhood is Young's Oriental Grocery Store, a Korean grocery on Forward Ave (map).

The Yellow Sea (황해) at Maridon Museum, May 25.

The 2010 thriller The Yellow Sea (황해) will play at the Maridon Museum on May 25, the fourth and final installment in this spring's Korean Film Series. A 2011 New York Times review provides a summary:

Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, “The Yellow Sea” follows Gu-nam as he descends into a nightmare that he helps create. The story takes off in Yanji, the capital of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, a wedge of China that borders North Korea and Russia. Initially, Gu-nam, an ethnic Korean (or chosun-juk), spends his time losing money at mahjongg, driving a cab or passed out in his squalid apartment, where a web of broken glass covering a framed wedding photo of him and his wife hints at the tragic misunderstanding that sets the story in fast, fast motion. His wife has left to find work in South Korea, and Gu-nam, bereft, angry, self-pitying, has built up a debt that he seems unlikely to work or gamble his way out of.

Continue reading the main story
When he can’t pay what he owes, he lands before a gangster, Myun-ga (Kim Yun-seok, in a tour de force performance), who will wipe out Gu-nam’s debt if he kills a man. Stoop-shouldered and somewhat sleepy, Myun-ga doesn’t look like much of a danger, but menace radiates off him, especially because he makes his offer in a dog market.

The movie starts at 6:00 pm and reservations are required to be made by phone: 724-282-0123. The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler (map) that runs film series periodically throughout the year, in addition to art classes, book club meetings, and its regular exhibits.

Pirates sign 18-year-old Chinese pitcher Haicheng Gong (宫海成)

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed 18-year-old Chinese pitcher Haicheng Gong (宫海成) on Tuesday. MLB.com writes that Gong comes from the Chinese Development Academy and will be assigned to the team's Bradenton affiliate. Rumbunters has more details, including the time Gong has spent getting used to American culture.

The Pirates have had a number of Asian players in their system the past decade, though Gong is the first from the People's Republic of China. The four East Asian players to make the big league roster are Masumi Kuwata in 2007, Akinori Iwamura in 2010, Hisanori Takahashi in 2012, and Jung-ho Kang in 2015-2016.

Oakland-based WholeRen hiring bilingual Chinese / English Marketing Coordinator.

WholeRen Education LLC, a Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement company, is hiring a full-time Bilingual Marketing Coordinator.

Our client, established by Chinese and American professional educators, is a multinational and professional education company. It integrates the services of academic application, college transfer services, academic emergency services, academic counseling, immersion classroom, landing services, Chinese-American cultural exchange and other services.

Now they are seeking for a bilingual marketing coordinator, who is driven, focused, talented and looking to gain hands-on experience. The ideal candidate would be someone majoring in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism or advertising.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute offline marketing strategies and campaigns
• Create and distribute marketing collateral: brochures, catalogues, posters, samples, displays, promotional materials, presentations, advertisements etc.
• Collaborate with the marketing team to drive key projects and goals
• Assist the Marketing Manager in a variety of administrative and project management tasks to drive the marketing efforts of our business

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years of marketing experience
• Excellent writing and verbal skills in both English and Chinese
• Proficient with Microsoft office suits includes Words, Excel

The application can be completed online.

Designing Space: The Exercise of the Spatial Imagination in Pre-Modern China, May 26-27 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of History will host "Designing Space: The Exercise of the Spatial Imagination in Pre-Modern China" on May 26 and 27. A program of events and a list of presentation abstracts is available at the department's website. The conference runs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm both days and is held in the Gold Room of the University Club in Oakland (map).

Pitt's Confucius Institute hiring Program Coordinator.

The Confucius Institute located at the University of Pittsburgh is hiring a full-time Program Coordinator. From yesterday's PittSource posting:

The University of Pittsburgh is seeking a qualified Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator for the Confucius Institute will oversee activities related to the daily functioning of the Confucius Institute, including translating and submitting the CI budget in Chinese and English to the Hanban web accounting system; monitoring budget levels each month and overseeing the processing of accounting expenses. The incumbent will develop and administer the summer and academic semester training programs for incoming volunteer teachers and coordinate processing of federal and state regulatory forms for incoming volunteers including visas, clearances and certifications in English and Chinese (when required). The incumbent will manage documentation related to OIS visa regulation and passport adherences, coordinate with University Testing Center to oversee HSK Testing Center, and expand the Chinese Bridge programs for superintendents and students state-wide. The Confucius Institute Program Coordinator may also occasionally assist in administration activities that support the overall mission for Chinese language and cultural education developed in consortium with the Asian Studies Center.

. . .

MA degree required in Chinese/Asian Studies or Accounting; Ph.D. preferred; Knowledge and experience related to China including research, teaching and study abroad programs; Fluency in Mandarin and English; Experience working with multiple stakeholder budgets and accounting systems; experience working with teacher education programs; Excellent organizational and administrative skills.

The Confucius Institute, says its website,

is a language and culture center dedicated to supporting the learning of Chinese language and culture for the greater public. CI-Pitt was founded in 2007 and was one of the first 25 Confucius Institute’s to be established worldwide. The Confucius Institute is a culture center developed and partially supported by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing China, also known as Hanban.

2017 Japanese animated film Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (劇場版「黒執事 Book of the Atlantic」) in Pittsburgh, June 12 and 14.

The 2017 Japanese animated movie Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic (劇場版「黒執事 Book of the Atlantic」) will play at the Southside Works Cinema on June 12 and 14. The distributor provides a summary for the film, which opened in Japan in January and is making its debut throughout the US in June:

All aboard to the next great adventure for Ciel and his demonic butler, Sebastian! After hearing rumors of a peculiar society bringing people back from the dead, the two board the luxury liner Campania on her maiden voyage to investigate. Incognito amongst the mysterious Aurora Society, they find familiar faces and a sight they can’t believe—a woman raised from the dead! But surprise quickly turns to dread when the shambling corpse attacks.

With more questions than answers, Ciel and Sebastian are up against not just one flesh-hungry corpse, but hundreds. Worse yet, the flamboyant reaper Grell and his new partner, Ronald Knox, stand in their way. Time is running out to solve this mystery, and if the demonic duo doesn’t act fast, they’ll be treading some seriously rough waters. Who could be behind this daring necromancy—and are they ready to find out?

Tickets and showtime information is available from the Southside Works Cinema website. The June 12 show is in Japanese with English subtitles, while the June 14 show is dubbed in English. The theater is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the SouthSide Works shopping center (map).

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, May 16.

The next installment of the monthly program "Storytime: Japanese and English" will take place on May 16 at the Carnegie Library in East Liberty.

Celebrate our city’s diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese for children and their parents or caregivers. For children age birth-5 and their caregivers.

It runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The library is located at 130 S. Whitfield St. (map).

Wild N Young: K-Pop Appreciation! at James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy, May 17.

Wild N Young: K-Pop Appreciation! is coming to James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy on May 17.

We're bringing K-POP to Pittsburgh, it's way past due.

Korean Pop music has spread over the world and now we are celebrating it here in Pittsburgh at James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy

Join us mid-week, mid-May for the best of the best in K-pop dance, sound and video.

You might even become part of a choreographed routine , which will be performed at the end of the night

Free entry... Buy drinks n dance your buns offff
Starts at 8 goes all night...

It's located at 422 Foreland St. in the Deutschtown neighborhood (map).

Squirrel Hill's first Asian bakery, Bubble π Baking Arts, closes.

Squirrel Hill's first Asian bakery, Bubble π [Pi] Baking Arts, has closed and is moving from its home at 2218 Murray Ave. It opened in 2007 and was joined by two other Asian bakeries, Sumi's Cakery in 2011 and Pink Box in 2014, on the same street. The Pittsburgh City-Paper profiled Bubble Pi in 2009:

"I'm sort of combining Eastern and Western styles of baking," [Ivy Lin] says. Many of the recipes and ideas she picked up while traveling extensively. When you ask how long she's been baking this wide selection, she laughs: "All my life!"

Bubble π has been on Murray Avenue for two years now; before that, Lin operated Asia Tea House, in Schenley Plaza. "I was selling my bubble tea. That was my specialty at the time," she says. Though the tea sold briskly in the warm months, "when it cooled down, nobody bought it. Now I'm more focused on my pastries and designed cakes."

Open seven days a week, Bubble π also offers its namesake beverage -- the fruit- or tea-based drink with tapioca pearls -- as well as coffees, shaved ice and a few simple lunch items.

2012 Korean movie Masquerade (광해: 왕이 된 남자) at Maridon Museum, May 11.

The 2012 Korean historical drama Masquerade (광해: 왕이 된 남자) will play at the Maridon Museum on May 11, the next installment in this spring's Korean Film Series. The Korean Film Database summarizes 2012's Masquerade:

During the confusing and conspiratorial Joseon Dynasty, King Gwang-hae orders his councilor, HEO Kyun, to find him a double in order to avoid the constant threat of assassination. HEO Kyun finds Ha-sun, a jester who looks remarkably like the king, and just as feared, Gwang-hae is poisoned. HEO Kyun proposes that Ha-sun fill the role as the king until Gwang-hae recovers fully and grooms Ha-sun to look and act every bit like him. While assuming the role of the king at his first official appearance, Ha-sun begins to ponder the intricacies of the problems debated in his court. Being fundamentally more humanitarian than Gwang-hae, Ha-sun’s affection and appreciation of even the most minor servants slowly changes morale in the castle for the better. Over time he finds his voice and takes control of governing the country with real insight and fair judgments. Even HEO Kyun is moved by Ha-sun’s genuine concern for the people, and realizes he is an better ruler than Gwang-hae. However, his chief opposition, PARK, notices the sudden shift in the king’s behavior and starts to ask questions.

The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum at 322 N. McKean St. in downtown Butler (map) that runs film series periodically throughout the year, in addition to art classes, book club meetings, and its regular exhibits.

2013 French-Chinese movie The Nightingale (夜莺) at Northland Public Library, May 10.

The 2013 French-Chinese movie The Nightingale (夜莺) will play at the Northland Public Library on the 10th as the May installment in its monthly Foreign / Indie Film Series. The library summarizes:

Ren Xing is a spoiled ten year old who has everything. Her parents are never together at any one time due to business. However both will be away for an extended time and must find a babysitter for Ren Xing. As a last resort, Ren’s mother asks her husband’s father for help. Her husband hasn’t spoken to his father in many years due to an incident in his childhood. The grandfather is not up to date with the world, and doesn’t want to, so the two do not understand one another. However, the grandfather has to visit the grave of his late wife before his beloved nightingale dies, as the nightingale is eighteen years old . The nightingale is the last remnant of the time he spent with his wife. His wife had never heard the nightingale sing. To get to her grave site is a long trek. Will the two bond while on the trek? The movie is beautifully shot in the idyllic Chinese countryside.

The movie runs from 1:30 to 3:30 pm on May 10 and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 300 Cumberland Rd. in the North Hills (map).

CCAC hiring adjunct instructor for Chinese classes.

The Community College of Allegheny County is hiring adjunct instructors for Chinese classes, among other langauges.

Japanese rock band VAMPS in Pittsburgh, May 12.

The Japanese heavy metal band VAMPS will play in Pittsburgh on May 12. An excerpt of their self-introduction:

VAMPS, the visually arresting rock band featuring HYDE (L’Arc-en-Ciel) and K.A.Z (Oblivion Dust), are one of the most popular bands in Japanese music.

Since forming in 2008, they have released three studio albums and four live DVDs, all of them showcasing the band’s signature approach to their craft: grand-scale theatrics and drama married to expert playing and song-writing – a potent combination that has led to them playing hundreds of shows at in their home country, taking over Japanese arenas for multiple nights in a row, a series of annual Vamps-curated festivals (including their legendary Halloween event and late summer Beast Party) and growing a global fan-base dedicated to both the band’s music and message.

“I want our audiences to feel the wild and immoral side of rock culture. And, as we are vampires, our show will obviously be different from that of any other rock band!!” laughs HYDE.

The show is at Diesel Club Lounge at 1601 E. Carson St. in the Southside (map). Doors open at 6:00 pm and tickets start at $20.

2008 Japanese movie Still Walking (歩いても 歩いても) at Carnegie Library in Oakland, May 7.

The Carnegie Library's main branch will show the 2008 Japanese movie Still Walking (歩いても 歩いても) as May's installment of International Cinema Sunday. A 2009 Roger Ebert review summarizes:

A dozen years ago, the prized possession of this family was Junpei, the eldest son, doted on by his parents and admired by his younger brother and sister. But Junpei drowned while saving a life, and every year the family gathers, as many Japanese families do, to visit his grave and memory.

These occasions are hated by Ryota (Hiroshi Abe), the second son. His father (Yoshio Harada) almost blames him for not being the one who died. On the drive to his home town at the seaside, Ryota tells his new wife Yukari (Yui Natsukawa) they must not even stay the night. This will be her first meeting with the parents; she is a widow with a young son.

The father is a retired physician, slowed with age, still marching joylessly on his daily walk. He stays mostly closed off in his office and greets his son brusquely. The mother has her doubts about this marriage; it is better to marry a divorced woman than a widow, because at least the divorce chose to leave her husband.

Also together for this day are Ryota's older sister and her husband. It is only slowly that we pick up the suppressed currents of feeling in the family; on the surface, the mother stays cheerful, although the old doctor's bitterness is obvious: The wrong son drowned.

The movie plays from 2:00 to 4:30 pm on May 7 in Classroom A, and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map).

New Hong Kong movie Shockwave (拆彈專家) in Pittsburgh, from May 5.

The 2017 Hong Kong movie Shockwave (拆彈專家) will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront from May 5. The South China Morning Post summarizes Shockwave

which sees another of Hong Kong’s busiest locales – the Cross-Harbour Tunnel – under threat.

[Andy] Lau plays our fearless hero JS, the number-one bomb-disposal expert in the police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau. In a prologue that could only be considered lazy plotting, JS is also shown to be previously a trusted long-term mole in a gang of bank robbers headed by Peng Hong (Jiang Wu) – that is, until JS managed to put several of them, though regrettably not including Peng, in prison.

The new Hong Kong movie Love Off The Cuff (春嬌救志明) will also continue to play at the theater. Showtime and ticket information available from Fandango.

"Ukiyo-e and the Windy City: Clarence Buckingham's Prints at the Art Institute of Chicago", May 11 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will present "Ukiyo-e and the Windy City: Clarence Buckingham's Prints at the Art Institute of Chicago" at the Carnegie Museum of Art Theater on May 11.

Please join us for a special presentation of Japanese art as part of the Richard J. Wood Art Curators Series. The series brings attention to major collections of Japanese art in the U.S. and their role in the U.S.-Japan grassroots relationship.

The early and intense commitment of Chicagoan Clarence Buckingham (1854–1913) to the Art Institute formed the museum’s well known Japanese print collection. From the 1890s, Buckingham, assisted by advisors such as curator Frederick W. Gookin and architect Frank Lloyd Wright, assembled a collection of Japanese woodblock prints of exceptional quality and range. Highlights of the collection include rare early ukiyo-e images, an unparalleled group of works by Sharaku, and superb examples of Hokusai's designs.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and can be done online. The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map).

Japanese animated film Your Name (君の名は) staying in Pittsburgh through (at least) May 11.

The record-setting Japanese movie Your Name (君の名は), which opened in Pittsburgh and throughout the US on April 7, will stay in the city through at least May 11 at the Southside Works Cinema. The distributor provides a summary:

From director Makoto Shinkai, the innovative mind behind Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters Per Second, comes a beautiful masterpiece about time, the thread of fate, and the hearts of two young souls.

The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.

When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars?

Tickets and showtimes are available from the Southside Works Cinema website. The shows will be in Japanese with English subtitles except the first screening of the day, which will be dubbed in English. The theater is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the SouthSide Works shopping center (map).