"Friends of Japan: African American Women’s Visions of Afro-Asian Solidarity" at Pitt, October 8.

via the Chicago Defender, 1953.

The University of Pittsburgh's Humanities Center will present the Department of History's Keisha Blain and her talk "Friends of Japan: African American Women’s Visions of Afro-Asian Solidarity" online on October 8.

This presentation examines how African American women engaged Japan during the early twentieth century. It foregrounds the ideas of a cohort of women who envisioned political collaborations with Japanese people as a strategy to combat racism and global white supremacy.

It will be presented on Zoom from 12:30 pm on the 8th.

Susan Choi talk with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures, online on September 14.

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host author Susan Choi online on September 14 as part of this year's Ten Evenings series.

The author of five novels, Susan Choi won the 2019 National Book Award for Trust Exercise, an ingenious meditation on fiction and truth, friendships and loyalties, the capacities of adolescents, and the powers of adults.

In an American suburb in the early 1980s, students at a highly competitive performing arts high school struggle and thrive in a rarified bubble, ambitiously pursuing music, movement, Shakespeare, and, particularly, their acting classes. The outside world of family life and economic status, of academic pressure and of their future adult lives, fails to penetrate this school’s walls — until it does, in a shocking spiral of events that catapults the action forward in time and flips the premise upside-down.

Choi’s first novel, The Foreign Student, won the Asian American Literary Award for fiction. Her second novel, American Woman, was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into a film. A Person of Interest was a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award. In 2010, Choi was named the inaugural recipient of the PEN/W. G. Sebald Award. Her fourth novel, My Education, received a 2014 Lammy Award.

Tickets for the 7:30 pm event are $10 for students and $15 for the general public.

2003 Bong Joon-ho film Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) in Pittsburgh-area theaters, October 19 and 20.

The 2003 Bong Joon-ho film Memories of Murder (살인의 추억) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on October 19 and 20. From the distributor:

MEMORIES OF MURDER tells the harrowing true story of the hunt for a sadistic serial rapist and murderer terrorizing a small province in 1980s South Korea. Marking the first of many successful collaborations between four-time Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho and leading man Song Kang Ho, the film follows the paths of three increasingly desperate detectives as they attempt to decipher the violent mind of a killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

Now, seventeen years after its initial release, and a year after the real culprit was identified, this cult classic takes its place as a modern masterpiece.

So far it is scheduled to play at AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson and tickets are available online.

Chinese movie Wild Grass (荞麦疯长) in Pittsburgh, from September 10.

The 2020 Chinese movie Wild Grass (荞麦疯长) will play in Pittsburgh from September 10. Something of a synopsis, from the distributor:

In the 1990s, the two girls and a boy who first entered the society tested the incredible destiny they experienced in the pursuit of a new life. In the flourishing 1990s, they rose up with the dream and they survived.

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

"Harbor From the Holocaust," documentary on European Jews who fled to Shanghai in the 1930s, premieres on WQED, September 8.

The new documentary "Harbor From the Holocaust" will premiere on WQED, Pittsburgh's PBS affiliate, on September 8. The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center newsletter provides more information:

18,000 Jewish families were able to escape from Europe to China during World War II because of the good deeds of one Chinese official, Ho Feng-Shen. These Jewish families, called Shanghailanders, lived and worked along side Chinese families in a small section of Shanghai’s occupied area. There are a surprisingly large number of Pittsburgh connections to the story of the Shanghailander Jews. The granddaughter of Ho Feng-Shen lives in Pittsburgh as does the grand-niece of the principal of the Jewish school in Shanghai. These connections intrigued Michele Ferrier of the Asian Studies Center and Daryl Ford-Williams from WQED, the Pittsburgh PBS station. Now after almost 6 years of work, several grants, and many trips to China, we are proud to announce the grand premier of the film Harbor from the Holocaust on WQED Tuesday September 8 at 10 pm EDT. We hope that you enjoy this fascinating and unsung World War II story, and look out for more teaching and engagement content about this topic in the weeks and months ahead.

It will play on WQED and stream on the PBS website at 10:00 pm EST.

September screenings of 2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) cancelled due to Rangos Giant Cinema's closure.

The 2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) was to play online via Carnegie Science Center's Rangos Giant Cinema from September 11 but it, and other upcoming events, are cancelled due to the cinema's closure for the foreseeable future.

The Rangos Giant Cinema is closed indefinitely due to the challenging circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It will still be available online via dozens of other theaters nationwide from September 11 through 25.

BTS concert film Break the Silence (브레이크 더 사일런스: 더 무비) in Pittsburgh from September 24.

The upcoming BTS concert film Break the Silence (브레이크 더 사일런스: 더 무비) will play in Pittsburgh from September 24.

BTS WORLD TOUR 'LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF' is now over. The worldwide stadium tour topped the Billboard Boxscore, and marked BTS as the first Korean group to perform at Wembley Stadium. The tour took place across Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, São Paulo, London, Paris, Osaka, Shizuoka, Riyadh, and Seoul. With unprecedented access, BREAK THE SILENCE: THE MOVIE travels with BTS throughout the tour, exploring each band member behind the curtain. Off stage, we see another side of BTS. The seven members begin to candidly tell personal stories they have never voiced before. Facing my other self ‘PERSONA’

It will play locally at the Cinemark in Monroeville and Robinson though more venues may be announced later. Tickets for the Monroeville screenings are available online via Fandango.

Three Japanese documentaries to be screened September 24 - 26 (online) at Pitt.

As part of the 2020 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, the Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: ASIA will screen three documentaries online later this month:

* Friday, September 24: Oyster Factory (牡蠣工場) at 6:30 pm followed by a conversation with the director, Soda Kazuhiro.
* Saturday, September 25: Book-Paper-Scissors (つつんで、ひらいて), the 2020 Honorable Mention, at 7:00 pm, followed by a conversation with director Nanako Hirose.
* Sunday, September 26: An Ant Strikes Back (アリ地獄天国), the 2020 Grand Prize winner, at 7:00 pm, followed by a conversation with director Tokachi Tsuchiya.

New Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰) continues in Pittsburgh through September 9.

The new Chinese film The Eight Hundred (八佰), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 28, will continue here through at least September 9. From the distributor:

The film is based on true stories taking place during Sino-Japanese war in Shanghai, China, in 1937, the battle and protection of the Si Hang Warehouse. There are around 400 soldiers (so called Eight Hundred Heroes in history), holding out against numerous waves of Japanese forces for 4 days and 4 nights…….

It opened nationally in China on August 21 and was the top movie in China the last two weeks. It runs locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront until September 3, and will then play at the Cinemark in Robinson from the 4th through 9th. Tickets are available online.

"Inclusivity in the Asian Community: Above and Beyond an Acronym" with Pitt's Asian Student Alliance, September 2.

The Asian Student Alliance at the University of Pittsburgh will present "Inclusivity in the Asian Community: Above and Beyond an Acronym" online on September 2.

Reworked and revamped from Pitt’s Diversity Forum, ASA introduces (again) Inclusivity in the Asian Community: Above and Beyond an Acronym! Content curated by ASA, CASA, FSA, JSA, KSA, SASA, and VSA, we will be discussing inclusivity and why the words we use are important when referring to our community. With so many different acronyms that describe the Asian and Pacific Islander community, it’s difficult to navigate which is the right term to use in the right context, while still ensuring that our language is inclusive. In this workshop we will explore the different acronyms for the Asian and Pacific Island diaspora, why each was created, and more broadly, the large disparities between groups within our community. We will also discuss how the Model Minority Myth drives misconceptions and disparities, in addition to impacting relations with other marginalized communities -- ultimately, explaining why the acronyms and language we use are important.

The 9:00 pm event is free and open to the Pitt community.

Online preview and panel discussion "Harbor from the Holocaust," on European Jews who fled to Shanghai in the 1930s, with WQED, September 3.

An online preview and panel discussion of the upcoming WQED feature "Harbor from the Holocaust" will take place on September 3 with the station's Jim Cunningham.

Be among the first to preview this documentary produced by WQED for PBS. It shares the story of nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII to the port city of Shanghai. You'll hear their extraordinary recollections and unique relationship with their adopted city.

This preview will be followed by a panel discussion with Pittsburghers with ties to this poignant story. Rivaling all elements and in tragic contrast to those who could not escape, this is a Holocaust story of life.

The free event starts at 7:00 pm and those interested can register here.

Maridon Museum's September Book Club meeting, The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, September 24.

The Maridon Museum will read and discuss The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai on September 24 as this month's installment of its Book Club. An overview, from the author's official site:

The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles fight in a war that tears not just her beloved country, but her family apart.

The Mountains Sing is Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s first novel and the first book she has written in English.

The meetings will be held in person from 3:00 to 4:00 pm but will also have a Zoom component for people not comfortable gathering at this time. Those interested in registering should call 724-282-0123 or email info@maridon.org. The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum in Butler County that holds frequent movie screenings, classes, and book club meetings, in addition to the art exhibitions that take place when there isn't a pandemic.

"The Plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China: A Modern Cultural Genocide," September 1 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets will present "The Plight of the Uyghur Muslims in China: A Modern Cultural Genocide" on September 1.

Join the Center for Governance and Markets at GSPIA for a virtual conversation about the plight of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.

Speakers include:

• Sean Roberts, Director, International Development Program, Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University

• Nury Turkel, who was just appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a Commissioner to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom

• Mihrigul Tursun, a Uyghur who survived the camps in Xinjiang

The 11:00 am online event is free though registration is required.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck coming to Ross Park Mall, August 29.

via @HellyKittyCafeTruck

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck will return to Ross Park Mall on August 29.

Hello Pittsburgh! The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to Ross Park Mall on Saturday 8/29! Come say hello to us near Cheesecake Factory between 11am-7pm and pick up some supercute treats & merch, while supplies last! We welcome all friends to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Learn how we are creating a comfortable and safe environment for our guests and staff here: https://bit.ly/2YOwj9u

*subject to government travel restrictions*

More information about the truck and its tours available via Sanrio.

Crazy Rich Asians free at drive-in at Hartwood Acres, September 4.

The movie Crazy Rich Asians will play outdoors at at Hartwood Acres on September 4" as part of the county's "Drive-In Date Night" series of films that are free and open to the public. (This is two weeks later than originally announced by the county.) A summary of the film, from the distributor:

"Crazy Rich Asians” follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can’t buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

Gates open at 7:00 pm and the movie starts at dusk. Spaces are first-come first-served, and the gates will close once the parking lots are full.

2018 Chinese movie Animal World (动物世界) online at Pitt, part of Watch Party Wednesdays, September 30.

The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2018 Chinese film Animal World (动物世界) on September 30, part of its Watch Party Wednesday series. A South China Morning Post review writes:

An earnest adaptation of a profoundly silly Japanese anime, Chinese director Han Yan’s film is about a young man stuck in a dead-end job who dreams of slaying monsters and gets sucked into a deadly game of rock-paper-scissors

The 7:00 pm event is free and open to the Pitt community, though registration is required.

Bong Joon-ho film Snowpiercer (설국열차) online at Pitt, part of Watch Party Wednesday series, September 16.

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The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2013 Bong Joon-ho film Snowpiercer (설국열차) online on September 16, part of its Watch Party Wednesday series. An introduction, via a review from The Atlantic:

Snowpiercer is set after the onset of an ice age, triggered by humanity’s efforts to solve global warming, and set on a train that runs perpetually around the earth, doing one circuit per year, using some combo of a perpetual motion engine and recycled ice that it’s better not to think too hard about. The glorious advantage of setting the movie entirely on a train is that it’s so easy to make the class stratifications Bong wants to talk about clear. At the back of the train, conditions are grim; everyone’s got soot on their faces, people are missing limbs, they eat black jellied “protein bars” handed out by the military, and once in a while their kids get measured and snatched away for reasons unknown.

The 7:00 pm event is free and open to the Pitt community, though registration is required.

"Drinking Tea in Japan" with Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, online on September 2.

by Flood G.

The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will present "Drinking Tea in Japan" on September 2, the final installment of its Late Summer Lecture Series.

Japanese tea drinking has been a part of Japanese culture and tradition for hundreds of years. The influence of Japanese tea has not only expanded across the globe, but it also developed into a practice with its own types of aesthetics. Join Katsuko Shellhammer for a presentation on the history and types of tea in Japan. We will also explore modern ways to drink tea and what snacks to pair with your tea time. Finally, follow along at home and learn how to make dorayaki pancakes!

A Zoom link will be emailed to registrants before the event.

Registration and donation information for the 6:30 pm event is available online.

1998 Japanese film After Life (ワンダフルライフ) with Pitt's Asian Studies Center, September 2, part of three-part Hirokazu Koreeda series.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 1998 Japanese movie After Life (ワンダフルライフ) on September 2, the first in a three-part series of Hirokazu Koreeda films. Wikipedia provides a summary:

A small, mid-20th century social-service-style structure is a way station between life and death. Every Monday, a group of recently deceased people check-in: the social workers in the lodge ask them to go back over their life and choose one single memory to take into the afterlife. They are given just a couple of days to identify their happiest memory, after which the workers design, stage and film them. In this way, the souls will be able to re-experience this moment for eternity, forgetting the rest of their life.

Twenty-two souls of different ages and backgrounds arrive and are received by the counsellors, who explain them their situation. Lengthy interviews take place in the lodge, with each person having different perspectives of their lives, some being more reluctant in indicating a significant memory.

Registration for the free 7:00 pm event is required. The next two films in the series are 2004's Nobody Knows (誰も知らない) on October 14 with Dr. Charles Exley of the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures and 2018's Shoplifters (万引き家族).

BTS concert film Bring the Soul: The Movie in Pittsburgh, from August 28.

The 2019 BTS concert movie Bring the Soul will play in Pittsburgh from August 28.

On the day following the final concert of their Europe tour, on a rooftop in Paris, BTS tells their very own stories from experiencing new cities to performing in front of thousands of ARMY across the globe. A glimpse into BTS’ world away from the stage, featuring intimate group discussions alongside spectacular concert performances from the tour, this is a cinema event not to be missed.

It enjoyed a lengthy run in local theaters last year. It will play in Pittsburgh at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark in Robinson, and tickets are available online.