"Kyoto University possesses remains taken from the Momojyana tomb in Okinawa, Japan, where members of the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom are believed to be buried." Photo by Dr. Yasukatsu Matushima, in Science
Nozomi (Nakaganeku) Saito is a PhD Candidate in Critical & Cultural Studies at Pitt with a concentration in Literature. She is currently completing her dissertation “Aftermaths of Empires: Cold War Narratives in the Black Pacific.” In 2024 she will join the faculty of Amherst College as an Assistant Professor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Literature
The talk runs from 9:30 to 10:30 am in 501 Catheral of Learning.
The extraordinary, internationally embraced Yi Yi (A One and a Two . . .), directed by the late Taiwanese master Edward Yang, follows a middle-class family in Taipei over the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. Whether chronicling middle-age father NJ’s tentative flirtations with an old flame or precocious young son Yang-Yang’s attempts at capturing reality with his beloved camera, the filmmaker deftly imbues every gorgeous frame with a compassionate clarity. Warm, sprawling, and dazzling, this intimate epic is one of the undisputed masterworks of the new century.
It plays at the Row House Cinema and tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).
The Japanese Student Association at Pitt will host its annual Matsuri on March 25. It runs from 5 to 8 pm in the William Pitt Union Lower Lounge and is free and open to the student community, though some booths will require tickets.
This year's production, Empresses in the Palace (后宫甄嬛传) will present the life story of Zhen Huan and her transition from an innocent talented young adult into a stone-hearted woman, in the Palace of Qing Dynasty. We tell this story through acting interweaved with traditional dance, martial arts, and musical performances.
Tickets are now available online, and the first 50 ticket purchases will also receive free boba. The performance starts at 7:30 pm in the Cohon University Center Rangos Ballroom (map).
Taiwan's official selection for the 95th Academy Awards, Goddamned Asura presents youth, violence, and the consequences of a digital world. Following what is seemingly a senseless act of violence, the film traces the histories of six people and their connection to the event. The film questions our relationship with digital media. Is it a tool of obsessive distraction or an agent of change? What can we expect from a youth generation that views the world as absurd and untenable? Goddamned Asura forays into the social issues that flood our TV screens, a disquieting parallel to the stream of flashing lights that characterize the film.
It starts at 7:30 pm on the CMU campus, in McConomy Auditorium, Jared L. Cohon Center, and includes Q&A sessions and a reception.
Q&A and Discussion with director Lou Yi-An and actress Wang Yu-Xuan
Moderated by Kun Qian, Professor of Modern Chinese Literature and Film, University of Pittsburgh
Reception catered by FUKU and Many More Asian Supermarket
Set over an eight-year time span, Return to Seoul follows Freddie’s journey back to her place of birth — a country to which she has never been and of which she does not know the language. Freddie, played by first-time actor Park Ji-Min, has never felt at home or comfortable in any setting, which may be why she ventures back to Seoul. Over the course of the eight years, Seoul, the city, and Freddie, its citizen, evolve with each new encounter. A story driven through change, Return to Seoul invites audiences to look closely at the experience of adoption, integration, and what it means to be “from” somewhere.
The 2023 Zhang Yimou film Full River Red (满江红), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 16, will remain here through at least March 29.
12th century China, during the Song Dynasty, set against a brewing rebellion by the Jin people against the Imperial Court. Two hours before a crucial diplomatic meeting between the Song Prime Minister Qin Hui and a high level Jin delegation, the Jin Ambassador is murdered. An important letter destined for the Emperor is stolen from him. As the search for the letter unfolds, alliances are formed, secrets are revealed, and no one can stop the truth that is destined to leave its mark in history.
The 2022 Chinese animated film New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜：杨戬) will play at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville on April 13. From GKIDS, the distributor:
Thirteen years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, the once powerful god now scrapes by as a penniless bounty hunter. When a mysterious woman hires him for a new job, Yang Jian soon finds himself chasing down a familiar figure. He must stop Chenxiang, his long-lost nephew, who is in search of the magical lotus lantern that will free his mother, even if it will bring catastrophe. As Yang Jian confronts the actions of his past, he must face a host of dangerous vigilantes seeking the same treasure with the power to alter the balance of their worlds.
This latest entry in the New Gods universe from Light Chaser Animation (White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn) features awe-inspiring action sequences set against breathtaking and wildly imaginative environments. Combining ancient lore with dazzling animation, New Gods: Yang Jian is a timeless adventure of epic proportions featuring one of China’s legendary mythic figures.
The show is at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map). New Gods: Yang Jian last played in Pittsburgh in November 2022.
Pittsburgh Japan Community Spring Picnic will be held on Saturday, April 22 at North Park. Come enjoy eating freshly pounded rice cakes and listening to the Japanese musical instruments in a park with a view of cherry blossoms.
Pittsburgh Japanese School (PJS) and Japan Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JAGP) have jointly organized this event to provide an opportunity for the Japanese community in the Pittsburgh area to get to know each other.
Everyone is welcome to attend free of charge, so please feel free to register. Advance registration is required to attend the event.[Deadline: 4/7(Fri.)].
Please join us for an evening of traditional and modern music for shakuhachi, the Japanese bamboo end blown flute!
Featuring works by:
Chatori SHimizu
Emmanuel Berrido
Mark Micchelli
Devon Osamu Tipp
Vicente Alexim
& Kinko-ryu
The event starts at 7:00 pm and the suggested donation is $15. RSVP is encouraged at dvntshaku at gmail.com. Vestige Concept Gallery is located at 5417 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).
