"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.

뭐야? Seen at the Waterworks Party City.

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.

New Vietnamese restaurant opening in Bethel Park next week.

Pho SAIGON Cafe is scheduled to open in Bethel Park on September 8. Previews of the menu online show banh mi, pho, Vietnamese coffee, and bubble teas. It will open at 2822 South Park Road (map) in what was formerly The Old Bridge Restaurant. They also own SAIGON88 Express in McKees Rocks.

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.