CEAS Film Series

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Come enjoy a special screening and panel discussion of ANPO: Art X War with Director Linda Hoaglund! In 1951, Japan signed the U.S.-Japan Mutual Security Treaty (ANPO in Japanese), giving the United States the right to maintain armed forces on their soil. A growing resistance to the U.S. military presence culminated in protests against the renewal of the treaty in 1960, in which millions of citizens took to the streets. ANPO: Art X War depicts resistance to U.S. military bases in Japan through a collage of paintings, photographs and films by Japan’s foremost contemporary artists. Director...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

國士無双[デジタル修復版][英語字幕付] 1932 Itami MansakuThe Peerless PatriotAlong with his 1936 film Akanishi Kakita, The Peerless Patriot is known as one of director Itami Mansaku’s representative works and a masterpiece of “nonsense jidaigeki.” Fragments from the original feature-length film have been edited together to create this digest version, following a country bumpkin as he impersonates the ruler. With its sharp sense of satire, the film parodies the conventions of the period film genre and ushers in a new approach to the period film in Japan.エノケンのちゃっきり金太[英語字幕付][総集篇] 1937 Yamamoto KajiroEnoken’s...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Beauty of Beauties Directed by Li Hanziang (1965, 154 min)A story about the wit and patriotism of Hsi Shih, a legendary patriotic beauty from China’s Warring States period (475-221 BC) who was presented as a duplicitous gift from the King of Yue to the King of Wu in order to bring down the recipient’s kingdom. –The movie was at the time the biggest-budget Chinese-language movies ever made. –Best feature film, best director, and best leading actor, photography at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in 1965.Part of the Spring 2012 Taiwan Film Festival For More Information...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

The Fourth PortraitDirected by Chung Mong-hong (2010, 104 min, 35mm)Ten year-old Xiang faces a lonely future after his father dies. One day his estranged mother shows up, and his life changes forever… A loveless mother, a hateful stepfather, a chilly home. He finds comfort in drawing and his work reveals his longing for care and affection. (imDb.com)–nominated for Best Film at Mar del Plata Film FestivalPart of the Spring 2012 Taiwan Film Festival For More Information ...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

先代萩 御殿の場 義大夫出語[英語字幕付][No.1] 1915SendaihagiOne of the few films from this era that exists, this provides a rare glimpse of the “kabuki cinema” of the time and features one of the earliest stars of Japanese cinema, Nakamura Kasen. Remarkably, unlike kabuki and other early films which usually featured female impersonators for female roles, this film actually has a female cast!長恨[部分][英語字幕付] 1926 Ito DaisukeAn Unforgettable Grudge忠次旅日記[トータル・イマーション版][英語字幕付] 1927 Ito DaisukeA Diary of Chuji’s TravelsThe director of nearly a total of 100 jidaigeki films, Itō Daisuke (1898-1981), often revered as “...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Dandy Sashichi Detective Story – Six Famous Beauties人形佐七捕物帖 妖艶六死美人[英語字幕付] 1956 Nakagawa NobuoWatching Dandy Sashichi Detective Story: Six Famous Beauties, one can hardly believe that director Nakagawa Nobuo began his career predominantly as a director of slapstick comedies for Tōhō Studios before WWII. The film was directed during a now famous stint at the short-lived Shintōhō studio, in which Nakagawa created a run of graphic horror movies culminating in what is largely believed to be his masterpiece, Jigoku. While Six Famous Beauties is not nearly as grotesque or disturbing as some of...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Cape No. 7 Directed by Wei Te-sheng, Taiwan, 2008The film portrays the rise of a small-town rock band and the discovery of a cache of undelivered love letters from 1940’s Japanese-occupied Taiwan that become the catalyst of another inter-cultural love affair 70 years later. –Highest grossing film ever produced in Taiwan surpassing even Ang Lee’s Lust: Caution and Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon.–Official Taiwanese Entry for the 81st Academy Awards®–Grand Prize, 4th AMFFM, JAPAN–Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Film Score, Best Original Film Song and Best Audience Award, 45th Annual...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Autumn Execution Directed by Li Zing, Taiwan, 1971, 99 minutesIn Han Dynasty China, a hotheaded young man, Pei, is jailed for murder following a brawl. As autumn, decreed as the season for executions is almost a year away, his wily grandmother concocts a scheme to see that at least the family line will carry on by sneaking a girl into his cell for conjugal visits…—Best film, best director, best screenplay at the 1972 Taiwanese Golden Horse AwardPart of the Spring 2012 Taiwan Film Festival For More Information...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

黒田騒動[英語字幕付] 1955 Uchida TomuThe Kuroda AffairThe Kuroda Affair tells the story of one of the greatest family uprisings in Japanese history at the beginning of the Edo Period, with a thrilling portrayal of love & lust, rebellion, and betrayal. Director Uchida Tomu is an underrated master of jidaigeki whose 1956 film is a must-see.不知火検校 [英語字幕付] 1960 Mori KazuoThe Blind MenaceKnown as the film that inspired the famous “Zatoichi” series, The Blind Menace is the breakthrough film for the leading actor Katsu Shintaro, who would soon become one of the biggest jidaigeki stars in the postwar era....

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

河内山宗俊[英語字幕付] 1936 Yamanaka SadaoKochiyama SoshunThe title of this film refers to a heroic character from popular stories and the kabuki stage , re-imagined here as a human being with a nuanced personality. Kochiyama is a monk who has broken his vows and runs a tavern in Edo who becomes involved in local intrigue when he tries to protect a pair of orphans from a group of gangsters. The film is notable for realistic performances by actors from the Zenshinza theater troupe at a time when more stylized acting was the norm. The sober atmosphere of the film matches its legacy as one of the only...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Touch of Zen Directed by King Hu (1971, Taiwan, 185 minutes) An artist, Ku, lives with his mother near an abandoned fort known to be haunted. One night, he meets the beautiful Yang who is living there. She is being pursued by agents of an Imperial noble who have murdered her family. Ku finds himself caught up in her struggle to survive.Action adventure with a lyrical feel and a strong spiritual element.– No. 9 in the Hong Kong Film Awards’ List of The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures– Won Technical Grand Prize & nominated for Golden Palm prize at Cannes Film FestivalPart of the Spring...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Cannot Live Without You (Directed by Leon Dai, Taiwan, 2009When the government decides to remove his daughter from his care, Li Wu-hisung does everything he can to get her back, leading to a desperate standoff in front of the media and the world. Based on a true story, it conveys a quest of love that knows no bounds. –Winner of Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Outstanding Taiwanese Film at the 2009 Golden Horse Film Festival–Nominated for Best Film at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.Part of the Spring 2012 Taiwan Film Festival For More Information...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

A workshop primarily directed at undergraduates and conducted with an interpreter. For More Information 20110225japanfilm_koreedainfo.pdf

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Ancient Species / 红谷子 Directed by Lin Zhi-zhan (Taiwan, 2008, 86 mins, English subtitles)Dong Chao-qing, a Baomo (flamen), found the red grains of an ancient species in Pingzhai Village. Under his proposal, three farmers started to plant the red grains in the traditional way. From the last century, Chinese government has been waving the banner of scientific farming, and promotes that “modern farmers should know about scientific farming.” Although the farmers were not wanting to, they still started to use fertilizers and pesticides, which severely damaged their soil. Not to mention, the new...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Samurai Saga (Aru kengo no shogai)Directed by Inagaki Hiroshi, 1959 (35mm, 111 min., color) Print courtesy of the Japan Foundation.Synopsis: A samurai with a long nose and the heart of a poet falls in love in this version of Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Mifune Toshiro) transported to medieval Japan. Directed by Inagaki Hiroshi (Samurai Trilogy). SINGULAR SAMURAIA series of samurai films slightly off the beaten track, featuring singing samurai, a samurai Cyrano de Bergerac, and even the samurai who inspired Star Wars, directed by such masters as Kurosawa Akira, Inagaki Hiroshi, and Kato Tai....

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

1428Directed by Du Haibin, 2009 (121 minutes, English Subtitles)The “Great Sichuan Earthquake” took place at 14:28 on May 12, 2008. 10 days after: Scenes not seen on official TV, “survival” is the keyword. Ordinary people are salvaging destroyed pig farms in the mountains, recuperating cents-worth scrapped metals, or pillaging victims’ homes. Behind the highly mediatized official visits, inconsolable grief of families searching for loved ones. 210 days after: Harsh winter, villagers preparing for Lunar New Year, a vagabond and his family are detailing grievances about the ill-handling of...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Still WalkingDirected by Koreeda Hirokazu, 2008 (114 min, 35mm) Grown children visit their elderly parents in the countryside to commemorate the tragic passing of an elder son. Mixing humor and subtle drama, this fictional work exemplifies Koreeda’s delicate depiction of the tenuousness of familial bonds in the face of death. The screening will conclude with a Q & A with the filmmaker. For More Information 20110225japanfilm_koreedainfo.pdf

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Without MemoryDirected by Koreeda Hirokazu, 1996 (84 min., video, in Japanese with English subtitles)A penetrating film about a man who came to suffer from severe memory loss (Wernicke’s Encephalopathy) due to medical malpractice. A recording medium confronts the condition of inability to remember.Screening will conclude with a Q & A with the filmmaker. For More Information 20110225japanfilm_koreedainfo.pdf

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

Wrecked Cities in China / 被破坏的城市Directed by Zhang Haiying (2010, 30 min, English subtitles); All the cities can’t escape destruction. They are now of a single type, becoming a new Manhattan, or the next Singapore. None of them become their own. The new cities are changing into standardized ones, just like products off an assembly line. Old houses with unique characteristics have disappeared. The warm friendship and cosy atmosphere of the old days between people in the neighborhood are gone forever. What we see now are just tall buildings, like a forest made of cement.所有的城市都在拆除 所有的城市都在变得一模一样;...

Event
Posted : September 13, 2013

The Fall of Womenland / 迷失的摩梭Directed by He Xiaodan (2009, 46 min, English Subtitles)A documentary on the unique sexual culture of the Mosuo people – a small minority situated in the South-West of China, and one of the last remaining matriarchal societies in the world. Without a formal marriage contract, the Mosuo traditionally build relationships based on free love. But can the sexual liberty and power of the Mosuo women survive as modern Chinese society encroaches their ancestral land? Follow Bima, a young Mosuo woman, and learn of her reality and of the dangers that threaten her inherited...

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