2020 Korean-American film Minari remains in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 14.

The 2020 Korean-American film Minari, which opened in Pittsburgh on February 11, will remain here through at least April 14. A synopsis, from the distributor:

A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

It will continue at several local theaters, including (on certain days) the AMC Loews Waterfront and Cinemark in Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Pitt hiring Visiting Korean Instructor.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring a Visiting Instructor to teach Korean courses for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures of the University of Pittsburgh invites applications for the position of Visiting Instructor for its Korean language program, pending budgetary approval. The appointment will begin on September 1, 2021, and end on April 30, 2022. The candidate must hold a MA degree in teaching Korean as a second language, foreign language teaching, applied linguistics, or a related field by the time of appointment and possess broad competence in teaching Korean language courses. The successful candidate will teach six courses per year. The candidate must be native or near a native user of Korean and English. should have at least one year’s experience teaching Korean language courses at a North American institution, preferably in person. Other duties may include mentoring students, normal service duties in the Department, and working with other Asia specialists in the Department and on campus.

The University of Pittsburgh has dedicated substantial resources to international studies and encourages interdisciplinary research and teaching through the established programs in Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies, and Global Studies. The intellectual environment at the University of Pittsburgh provides ample opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation. The East Asian Library is one of the best in the nation, and there are superlative research facilities, as well as funds for research and teaching.

Applicants should send a letter of application, CV, evidence of teaching ability (e. g., student teaching evaluations), sample syllabus for one course, statements of teaching philosophy, diversity and inclusion statement, and a list of three references to the University of Pittsburgh’s Talent Center.

For more information, contact Victoria Donahoe (vjd8@pitt.edu). The position will be filled as soon as the qualified candidate is found.

Eddie Huang film Boogie continues in Pittsburgh, through (at least) April 14.

The Eddie Huang film Boogie, which opened in Pittsburgh on March 5, will continue here through at least April 14. From the distributor:

From acclaimed writer, producer and restaurateur Eddie Huang comes his directorial debut Boogie, the coming-of-age story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.

It will continue locally at AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

"Asian/American: A roundtable about Race, Identity, and Community," April 15 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will host "Asian/American: A roundtable about Race, Identity, and Community" on April 15. It starts at 5:30 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Pitt hiring part-time Japanese teacher for Summer 2021.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures is hiring a part-time instructor of Japanese for Summer 2021.

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures seeks a part-time instructor of Japanese Language starting Summer Term 2021. Instructors must have a Bachelor’s degree and experience teaching Japanese conversation classes at university level more than one year. Native speakers of Japanese are preferred. Duties include teaching recitation sections. The instructor will continue teaching during the regular academic year, though work hours are expected to be limited and/or unstable. Interested applicants should remit a CV and cover letter. The position will be filled as soon as qualified candidates are found.

2020 Japanese movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) in Pittsburgh, from April 23.

The 2020 Japanese animated movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train (劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編) will play in Pittsburgh from April 23. A synopsis of the top-grossing film in Japan last year, from the theaters:

Tanjiro Kamado, joined with Inosuke Hashibira, a boy raised by boars who wears a boar's head, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, a scared boy who reveals his true power when he sleeps, board the Infinity Train on a new mission with the Fire Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the people and killing the demon slayers who oppose it!

Tickets will go on sale on April 9, though showings have been announced so far for the Waterworks and Cranberry Cinemas.

Talk on Japanese horror films "Naming Fears," April 7 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Michael Crandol and his talk "Naming Fears" online on April 7.

Dr. Crandol will share insights about his latest publication, Ghost in the Well (Bloomsbury 2021), the first study to provide a full history of the horror genre in Japanese cinema, from the silent era to Classical period movies such as Nakagawa Nobuo’s Tokaido Yotusya kaidan (1959) to the contemporary global popularity of J-horror pictures like the Ring and Ju-on franchises.

The talk starts at 12:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

#StopAsianHate: A Teach-In, April 9 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center is hosting "#StopAsianHate: A Teach-In" on April 9.

Recent increases in violence and harassment have brought to national attention the prejudices Asian Americans face every day, and events like the March 16 shootings in Atlanta, GA have left communities feeling shaken. This teach-in will examine the history of anti-Asian prejudice, both overt and covert, in the US, as well as discussing current events in an interdisciplinary context.

The online event starts at 2:00 pm, and registration is required.

Sakura at Japanese garden in Shadyside.

The Japanese Garden at UPMC Shadyside is a quiet oasis next to a busy, oft-jammed Centre Ave. It has several ornamental statutes, rock gardens, and quiet nooks, and is ringed by cherry blossoms. Reads a plaque at the entrance:

This garden is a gift from Dr. Kazuo Kodera in honor of nurses. It is a place for health care providers to think about our friends around the world and to reflect on the meaning of our work, which i to care for one another. It is a place to find new friendships, to find new hope, and to find peace.

We hope you enjoy your time here.

September 2005

See also posts from 2018 and 2014.

2018 Japanese film Mirai (未来のミライ) online at Pitt, April 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Office of International Services will present the 2018 Japanese film Mirai (未来のミライ) on April 28 as an installment of its Watch Party Wednesday series. From the distributor:

From acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) and Japan’s Studio Chizu comes MIRAI, a daringly original story of love passed down through generations. When four-year-old Kun meets his new baby sister, his world is turned upside down. Named Mirai (meaning “future”), the baby quickly wins the hearts of Kun’s entire family. As his mother returns to work, and his father struggles to run the household, Kun becomes increasingly jealous of baby Mirai… until one day he storms off into the garden, where he encounters strange guests from the past and future – including his sister Mirai, as a teenager. Together, Kun and teenage Mirai go on a journey through time and space, uncovering their family’s incredible story. But why did Mirai come from the future? An official selection at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, and the epic capstone of director Mamoru Hosoda’s career, Mirai is a sumptuous, magical, and emotionally soaring adventure about the ties that bring families together and make us who we are.

The movie starts at 7:00 pm and registration is required.