Oscar-nominated 2023 Japanese + Wim Wenders film Perfect Days remains in Pittsburgh through March 6.

The 2023 Japanese film Perfect Days, directed by Wim Wenders, which returned to Pittsburgh from February 22, will continue here through at least March 6. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the movie first played in Pittsburgh in November.

Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) remains in one Pittsburgh-area theater through (at least) March 7.

The 2023 Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか), which opened across Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 7, will continue in a local theater through (at least) March 7. A synopsis of the movie, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki's first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and the Heron is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki's long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film "Spinning Globe" was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

. . .

A young boy named Mahito
yearning for his mother
ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
There, death comes to an end,
and life finds a new beginning.


A semi-autobiographical fantasy
about life, death, and creation,
 in tribute to friendship,
from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

It continues to play locally at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley (map), and tickets are available online.

Zoom lecture by Korean artist Kang Seung Lee, February 28 with Pitt's Studio Arts Department.

The Department of Studio Arts at the University of Pittsburgh will host artist Kang Seung Lee for a virtual lecture on February 28, part of its spring lecture series.

Kang Seung Lee is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in South Korea and now lives and works in Los Angeles and Seoul. His work frequently engages the legacy of transnational queer histories, particularly as they intersect with art history.

Lee's work is in the collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; The Getty, Los Angeles; RISDMuseum, Providence; among others. Lee is participating in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.

The talk starts at 6:00 pm and registration is required.

"3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker Series, featuring the Honorable Cindy K. Chung" at University of Pittsburgh, March 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's School of Law will present "3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker Series, featuring the Honorable Cindy K. Chung" on March 28.

Please join us for a conversation with our 3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker the Honorable Judge Chung as she reflects on her career, the challenges of being the first Asian American to serve on the Third Circuit, and offers insights to those interested in clerking. Judge Chung will be joined by Professors Pat Chew, Lu-in Wang, and Alveena Shah. The event will be moderated by Dylan Kim (JD ’25), President of Pitt Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.

Judge Cindy K. Chung has served as a Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit since February 2023. Prior to her judicial service, Judge Chung was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2021 to 2023. Judge Chung served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2014 to 2021. Judge Chung held numerous positions during her tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, including Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section from 2018 to 2020, Acting Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes Section at various times in 2015 to 2017, Domestic Violence Coordinator from 2019 to 2020, Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator from 2018 to 2020, Border Security Coordinator from 2018 to 2020, and Civil Rights Coordinator from 2016 to 2018. From 2009 to 2014, Judge Chung served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. From 2003 to 2009, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron Thompson on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama from 2002 to 2003. She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2002 and her B.A. from Yale University in 1997.

This program has been approved by PACLE for 1.0 hour of CLE credit. There will be a $30.00 fee for processing CLE credit for this event.

The event runs from 12:30 to 2:00 pm in 111 Barco Law Building (map).

Screening of Untold Herstory (流麻溝十五號), in Mandarin with English subtitles, in Lawrenceville on March 2.

The Pittsburgh chapter of Cafe Philo will present a screening of the 2022 film Untold Herstory (流麻溝十五號) on March 2.

Cafe Philo Pittsburgh invites you to watch the movie . Join us on a journey through transitional justice and the ongoing struggle to defend democracy and freedom. unveiled narratives that were intentionally omitted from historical accounts, shedding light on a herstory left unspoken under a dictatorship.

. . .

在228事件的77年後，臺灣解嚴後的第37年，匹茲堡哲學星期五想邀請大家一起來反思、認識當年的沒能開口的故事 —「流麻溝十五號」；其實，我們距離那個年代並沒有那麼遙遠。

The screening and discussions will be in Mandarin, though the movie has English subtitles, and the event runs from 1:30 to 4:00 pm at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville. Registration can be made online.

Kung Fu Panda 4 advance screening, February 29 with Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival.

The Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival will present the Pittsburgh premiere of Kung Fu Panda 4 on February 29, an advance screening ahead of its wider release in March.

 Attention Dragon Warriors 

Join us on a Leap Day special adventure at the FREE EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE of the much-anticipated Kung Fu Panda 4!

When: February 29, 2024, at 6:30 PM

Where: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University 

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL!

But wait, there’s more!

-Before Po kicks into action, witness the future warriors in action with a KUNG FU, WUSHU and LION DANCE PERFORMANCE that will knock your socks off 

-For the foodies, an EXCLUSIVE FREE BAO BUN TASTING awaits (both veg/non-veg options), guaranteed to be as delightful as Po’s dumpling dreams 

- FREE MERCHANDISE GIVEAWAYS (First come first served basis)!
P.S We will be serving some delicious bubble tea too from Hungry Panda!

Don’t miss out on this epic night of action, laughter, and deliciousness! Mark your calendars and be part of the legacy. Kung Fu Panda 4 - where heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and appetites!

NOTE: You can register upto 4 tickets on your name!

Registration is required and can be made online. The McConomy Auditorium is located in the Jared L. Cohen University Center on Forbes Ave. in oakland (map).

Chinese & English Storytime, at Cooper-Siegel Community Library, March 9.

The next Chinese & English Storytime at Cooper-Siegel Community Library is March 9, from 10:30 to 11:30 am.

Explore the Chinese language through bilingual songs, books, and playful experiences. This program is designed for kids in grades preschool - 2nd grade with their caregivers. 

Registration is required and can be completed online. There is a Chinese & English Storytime scheduled for April 3 and May 11 as well. The Cooper-Siegel Community Library is located at 403 Fox Chapel Rd. (map).

Japanese through songs: Embracing diversity by promoting autonomy, March 8 at Pitt.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures will host Dr. Amy Snyder Ohta and her talk "Japanese through songs: Embracing diversity by promoting autonomy" on March 8. It starts at 4:00 pm in 4127 Sennott Square (map).

Chinese-Canadian Pop/R&B singer PIAO performing in Pittsburgh, February 27.

Chinese-Canadian Pop/R&B singer PIAO will perform in Pittsburgh at Spirit Lounge on February 27 in support of Jhariah. An overview, from her Youtube:

Shanghai born, Los Angeles transplant PIAO is the artist you’ve been waiting for. With heartfelt lyrics and a vocal range that hits both ends of the spectrum, PIAO breaks the mold of the traditional pop artist and creates her own lane. Recent Berklee graduate and multi-instrumentalist, PIAO has had the opportunity to work with talented artists and producers like T-Pain and Don Cannon to help amplify her vision and build her musical repertoire. As she develops her sound and plans to release new music, prepare to know the name PIAO.

Tickets for the all ages show are available online. Doors open at 7 pm, music starts at 8. Spriit Lounge is located at 242 51st St. in Lawrenceville (map).

"Early Modern Kabuki: Lineage, Talent, and Print Media," February 26 at Pitt.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh will host Katherine Saltzman-Li and her talk "Early Modern Kabuki: Lineage, Talent, and Print Media" on February 26. It starts at 4:00 pm in 501 Cathedral of Learning.