2017 documentary The Departure, on punk-turned-priest Ittetsu Nemoto, at CMU International Film Festival, March 30.

The Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival recently announced its full lineup for this spring's Faces of Inequality iteration, and it includes the 2017 documentary The Departure. Its subject is Ittestsu Nemoto,

a former punk-turned-Buddhist-priest in Japan, has made a career out of helping suicidal people find reasons to live. But this work has come increasingly at the cost of his own family and health, as he refuses to draw lines between his patients and himself. The Departure captures Nemoto at a crossroads, when his growing self-destructive tendencies lead him to confront the same question his patients ask him: what makes life worth living?

Tickets for the March 30 screening of The Departure are now available online. It will play at McConomy Auditorium (map) from 7:00 pm, and the evening also includes a discussion panel.

2017 Taiwanese dark comedy The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯) in Pittsburgh, March 2 through 8.

The 2017 Taiwanese film The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯) will play at the Regent Square Theater from March 2 through 8. A November South China Morning Post review has a summary:

The debut feature from Taiwanese documentarian Huang Hsin-yao is an acerbic satire of small-town corruption that has earned awards attention, including 10 nominations (one for best picture) at this month’s Golden Horse Awards. The Great Buddha+ follows a pair of frustrated labourers who find themselves surrounded by businessmen and local officials throwing around more money than they could accumulate in a lifetime.

Pickle (Cres Chuang I-tseng) is a middle-aged security guard at a factory that makes bronze Buddha statues. Living with his ailing mother, his only pleasure comes from best friend Belly Button (Bamboo Chen Chu-sheng), a recycler who brings him leftover food each night and, if he’s lucky, an old porno magazine to help wile away the small hours.

One night, they decide to watch footage from the dash-cam in the Mercedes of Pickle’s wealthy boss, Kevin (Leon Dai Li-ren). In among numerous steamy encounters and grovelling phone calls, they uncover a dark secret that could change all of their lives.

Showtimes are available online, though tickets are only available for purchase at the door. The Regent Square Theater is located at 1035 S. Braddock Ave. (map) in the neighborhood of the same name.

AT&T store in Waterfront hiring part-time bilingual Mandarin-English sales associate.

The AT&T retail store at the Waterfront is hiring a part-time bilingual Mandarin-English sales associate.

Traveling to Japan, March 1 at Northland Public Library.

"Osaka, Japan" by Pedro Szekely (Creative Commons).

Kana Komaki, who hosted "Journey to Japan" on February 18 in Oakland, will present "Traveling to Japan" at Northland Public Library on March 1.

Whether you are traveling to Japan for business or pleasure, you will be fascinated by the beauty and culture of this ancient country. This presentation will explore the delectable cuisine, breathtaking landscapes, and unique business etiquette of one of the most influential places in the world. Join Japan native Kana Komaki as she shares original stories as well as insights and recommendations that are not found online or in a standard travel guide.

Registration is required for this adult program. Everyone attending will have access to two free Japanese language lessons with local language center T&L Global.

Registration is required for this adult program and begins on February 1st. You may register online, in person at the adult reference desk or by calling 412-366-8100, extension 113.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. The library is located at 300 Cumberland Road in the North Hills (map).

The Slow Way Home, a documentary on "how a society intent on keeping streets safe for kids made them walkable for everyone," at Pitt on April 3.

A 2016 documentary The Slow Way Home, followed by a discussion with the producer, will play at the University of Pittsburgh on April 3.

The way children travel to school structures daily life for families around the world—but differs dramatically. In Japan, 98 percent of children walk to school every day, unaccompanied by a parent. In the United States, just 13 percent of children walk or bike to school, and most are driven to school by a parent.

Border Passages with Viet Thanh Nguyen, April 9 at City of Asylum.

Via Nguyen's Facebook page.

The City of Asylum will host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen for a reading on April 9, ahead of his sold-out lecture that evening.

Join us for a reading with Viet Thanh Nguyen presented in partnership with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures and the Carnegie Nexus: Becoming Migrant series.

“A major writer with firsthand knowledge of the human rights drama exploding on the international stage—and the talent to give us inroads toward understanding it.”—THE WASHINGTON POST

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen can’t remember a time when he wasn’t a refugee. When he was four, in 1975, his family joined the masses of South Vietnamese fleeing the Viet Cong. His first reliable memories began when his family arrived at a Pennsylvania resettlement camp and was temporarily split up.

Join Nguyen, author of The Refugees and The Sympathizer, Divya Heffley of Carnegie Museum of Art, and Patrick McShea of Carnegie Museum of Natural History for a live reading and discussion, followed by a hands-on workshop that layers passages of text with memories of what we perceive to be home.

Nguyen will give a lecture at Carnegie Music Hall that evening, and will participate in a discussion with University of Pittsburgh students and faculty on April 5.

This event runs from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though space is limited and registration is required. Alphabet City is located at 40 N. West Ave. on the North Side (map).

Pittsburgh-based logistics firm hiring bilingual Mandarin-English administrative assistant.

Prop Ocean Logistics, headquartered in Monroeville, is hiring a bilingual Mandarin-English administrative assistant (行政助理).

Top three movies in China playing in Pittsburgh: Chinese-Hong Kong film Operation Red Sea (红海行动) opens February 23; Monster Hunt 2 (捉妖記2) and Detective Chinatown 2 (唐人街·探案2) continue for another week.

The top three movies in China are in Pittsburgh this weekend. The new Chinese-Hong Kong film Operation Red Sea (红海行动) will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront theater from February 23. The production company provides a synopsis:

The Chinese Navy’s Jiaolong (“Sea Dragon”) Assault Team is famed for its skill in getting the job done. After its success in rescuing a cargo ship hijacked by pirates off the Somalia coast, the team is assigned an even more perilous mission. A coup in a North African republic has left local Chinese residents in danger, circumstances further complicated by a terrorist plot to obtain nuclear materials. The situation could prove fatal to the hostages and disastrous to the entire region, and presents Jiaolong with a challenge that threatens the very existence of the team and its members.

Holy Hum in Pittsburgh, May 3.

via @holyhum

Holy Hum, fronted by Korean-Canadian multidisciplinary artist Andrew Lee, will play The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls on May 3. Lee introduced the project to Korean Indie readers thus:

Holy Hum is a project I started probably in 2013 but I didn’t release any music or play any shows until 2015. The project is still in its early stages so I can’t really try and pin it down and define it. Sometimes it’s just me and a guitar or synth. Sometimes it’s a five piece post rock band. And sometimes it’s eight speakers in an abandoned fur vault.

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are available online. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls is located at 400 Lincoln Ave. in Millvale (map).

Tickets now available for San E (산이) and Mad Clown (매드클라운)'s April 10 Pittsburgh show.

As of 9:00 am this morning, individual tickets are on sale for the San E and Mad Clown concert in Pittsburgh on April 10. The Korean rappers, along with Korean-American singer Sobae, are performing at the August Wilson Center as part of a North American tour this year.

Your Night, You Decide.

Select one, select them all. You own the night with Multiple Choice Events:
[A] Attend a show featuring San E & Mad Clown
[B] Go to a post-show party
[C] Grab a bite to eat at our food truck roundup, or
ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Mad Clown and San E are two of the biggest stars in Korean pop music. With numerous hits songs in Korea, these rappers are joining forces to tour every corner of America and Canada. For both MCs, this tour is a homecoming, as Mad Clown is originally from the Chicago area, and San E grew up in Atlanta. Mad Clown and San E's "We Want You 2018 Tour" will hit North America in April 2018, with Korean American singer Sobae opening.

The 8:00 pm show will be at the August Wilson Center in the Cultural District (map).