Friday, September 25, 2020

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.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

"International Pathways to The Pitt School of Education," online on September 29.


The University of Pittsburgh's Institute for International Studies in Education will host its first online Brown Bag of the year, "International Pathways to The Pitt School of Education," on September 29.

2019 Japanese documentary Book-Paper-Scissors (つつんで、ひらいて) online on September 25, part of 2020 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award.



The 2019 Japanese documentary Book-Paper-Scissors (つつんで、ひらいて), named the 2020 Honorable mention in this year's Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, will screen online on September 25. A summary, via Japan Cuts:
Nobuyoshi Kikuchi is a man contentedly out of step with the times. Forgoing modern technology, the 77-year-old master book designer (soutei-ka) has utilized the traditional tools of scissors, rulers, and pencils to design over 15,000 extraordinary book covers by hand throughout his decades-long career. With careful, philosophical consideration of every aspect of the process, Kikuchi also chooses the paper and ink to best represent the essence of each book. Filmed over three years, this passion project from Hirokazu Kore-eda protege Nanako Hirose (whose late father was also a book designer) matches Kikuchi’s contemplative and considerate approach to his craft, offering a thoroughly measured portrait of the pursuit of perfection and 94 minutes of ASMR for design enthusiasts and bibliophiles.
The free event starts at 7:00 pm and is followed by a conversation with director Nanako Hirose. It will be hosted live on Vimeo.

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.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

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.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

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.

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