Japanese documentary Oyster Factory (牡蠣工場) online as part of 2020 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, tonight, September 24.

The Japanese documentary Oyster Factory (牡蠣工場) will be presented online this evening from 6:30 pm, followed by a conversation with the director, Soda Kazuhiro, as part of the University of Pittsburgh's 2020 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award.

2019 documentary Queer Japan (クィア・ジャパン) part of (online) Reel Q: Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival, October 12.

The 2019 documentary Queer Japan (クィア・ジャパン) will play online on October 12 as part of the Reel Q: Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Queer Japan is an ensemble film that profiles a range of artists, academics, community organizers, and activists who are members of the LGBTQcommunity in Japan. Kolbeins has described the film as "a series of character studies," rather than an issue-focused documentary.

The film will be available online on the 12th and viewers will have 24 hours to complete it.

New Chinese movie Leap (夺冠) in Pittsburgh from September 25.

The 2020 Chinese movie Leap (夺冠) will play in Pittsburgh from September 25. A summary of the film, starring Gong Li and Huang Bo, from MyDramaList:

The film tells the journey of several generations of Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team and their touching stories of tenacious struggle and glory for the country for the past 40 years.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.

2019 Japanese film Lupin III: The First (ルパン三世 THE FIRST) in Pittsburgh, October 18 and 21.

The 2019 Japanese film Lupin III: The First (ルパン三世 THE FIRST) will play in Pittsburgh on October 18 and 21. A summary from the distributor:

The iconic “gentleman thief” Lupin III returns in an action-packed, continent-spanning adventure, as Lupin III and his colorful underworld companions race to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Bresson Diary, before it falls into the hands of a dark cabal that will stop at nothing to resurrect the Third Reich. The gang undertakes trap-filled tombs, aerial escapades and daring prison escapes with the trademark wit and visual finesse that have made LUPIN THE 3RD one of the most storied animation franchises in the world, in a thrilling new caper that is sure to delight fans old and new.

It will play locally at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Monroeville, and tickets are available online. The October 18th screening is dubbed in English while the October 21st one has English subtitles.

2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) playing online via Tull Family Theater, from November 16.

The 2019 Chinese documentary Our Time Machine (时光机) will play online via the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley from November 16. A synopsis from the film's official site:

Shaken by the news of his father’s dementia, artist Maleonn creates “Papa’s Time Machine,” a wondrous time-travel adventure performed on stage with life-size mechanical puppets. Through the play’s production, he confronts his own mortality. Maleonn finds grace and unexpected joy in this moving meditation on art, the agonies of love and loss, and the circle of life.

It played in Pittsburgh last year and was scheduled to run online this month but was cancelled due to the Rangos Giant Cinema's closure. Tickets for the November screenings are not yet available.

The Korean Peninsula and the U.S. Commitment to the Region, September 30 with World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh will host "The Korean Peninsula and the U.S. Commitment to the Region" online on September 30.

Is North Korea the nation posing the greatest threat to the U.S.? Why do we need to pay attention to what’s happening in the Korean Peninsula? Amidst COVID-19 and its fallout, policymakers are confronted with newly emergent issues alongside pre-existing ones. As the pandemic spreads, US-North Korea talks remain stalled, inter-Korean relations persist as mostly one-sided, and North Korea has continued to test and refine its military capabilities as well as ratchet up its rhetoric, and COVID-19 has intensified a growing US-China strategic competition. From a decades-old military alliance to deep economic ties and a large and vibrant Korean-American community, the linkages between the United States and the Korean Peninsula remain as important as ever.

The Stimson Center and Stimson’s 38 North program, working with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, presents a dialogue to discuss the importance of the US commitment to the Korean Peninsula. Speakers include: (Ret.) Walter Sharp, former Commander, US Forces Korea (2008-2011) and former President of the Korea Defense Veterans Association (KDVA), Jenny Town, Stimson Fellow & Deputy Director of Stimson’s 38 North, and moderated by Clint Work, Stimson Fellow & Security for a New Century & 38 North.

The talk runs from 2:00 to 3:00 pm online and is free and open to the public. Registration can be completed online.

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 through October 1.

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 Monaca (through the 1st), Monroeville (through the 27th), and Robinson (through the 30th), and the AMC Loews in Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Discussion of Leslie Chang's Factory Girls, October 15 with University of Pittsburgh's Global Studies Center.

The University of Pittsburgh's Global Studies Center will host a discussion of Leslie Chang's 2008 book Factory Girls on October 15.

This reading group for educators explores literary texts from a global perspective. Content specialists present the work and its context, and together we brainstorm innovative pedagogical practices for incorporating the text and its themes into the curriculum. Sessions this year will take place virtually on Thursday evenings from 5-7:30 PM. Books and Act 48 credit are provided.

More showtimes announced for 4K remaster of Japanese movie Akira (アキラ), in Pittsburgh from September 24.

More showtimes have been announced for the 4K remaster of the 1988 Japanese movie Akira (アキラ), which will play in Pittsburgh from September 24. Wikipedia provides a summary of the film:

Set in a dystopian 2019, Akira tells the story of Shōtarō Kaneda, a leader of a biker gang whose childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima, acquires incredible telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident, eventually threatening an entire military complex amidst chaos and rebellion in the sprawling futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo. While most of the character designs and settings were adapted from the manga, the plot differs considerably and does not include much of the last half of the manga. The soundtrack, which draws heavily from traditional Indonesian gamelan as well as Japanese noh music, was composed by Shōji Yamashiro and performed by Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

It is scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark in McCandless on the 24th and the Cinemark in Robinson from the 24th through 30th; tickets are available online.

"Make Tea, Not War: Tea and Conflict in Russia and Northeast Asia," October 1 (online) at Pitt.

by Flood G.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center and Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies will present a discussion and demonstration of Japanese green teas, "Make Tea, Not War: Tea and Conflict in Russia and Northeast Asia," on October 1.

Join the Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies and the Asian Studies Center for a demonstration and tasting of Japanese green teas. We will discuss tea in the context of regional conflicts, starting with the Russo-Japanese war, and guide the audience in the proper brewing techniques.

Registration for the 4:00 pm event is required. Pitt students have an opportunity to request a free sample from Squirrel Hill's Dobra Tea upon registration.