Tuesday, March 22, 2022

2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) remains in Pittsburgh, March 24, 25, 28.


After its month-long run at the Harris Theater earlier this year and its return to Pittsburgh-area theaters earlier in March, the acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) will remain in Pittsburgh on March 24, 25, and 28. A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:
The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.

But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.
It is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and Cinemark theaters in Robinson on March 24, and the AMC Loews Waterfront on March 25 and 28. The shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.

Monday, March 21, 2022

Alash Ensemble Tuvan Throat Singers, March 27 at Spirit Lounge.


The Alash Ensemble Tuvan Throat Singers will perform in Pittsburgh on March 27.
Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. What distinguishes this gifted trio from earlier generations of Tuvan throat singers is the subtle infusion of modern influences into their traditional music. One can find complex harmonies, western instruments, and contemporary song forms in Alash’s music, but its overall sound and spirit remain decidedly Tuvan.
Tickets for the show at Spirit in Lawrenceville (map) are now available online.

Friday, March 18, 2022

Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown public celebration, April 16.


OCA Pittsburgh will host its public celebration of Pittsburgh's Historic Chinatown on April 16.
For mroe than 120 years the Chinese have called Pittsburgh ome. Come and help us celebrate the official Pennsylvania landmark designation of Pittsburgh Chinatown!
Attractions will include food, performances, music, and Chinese-American rapper Jason Chu. For more information about Pittsburgh's Chinatown, which was largely displaced by the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies, please see this 2019 Next Pittsburgh profile or this 1959 article on the "end of the road for Chinatown."

The city's Chinatown was granted a state historical marker in March 2021, with a dedication ceremony scheduled for (and cancelled) last September.

Films from China, The Philippines, Asian-America in Pittsburgh as part of CMU International Film Festival, from April 2.


The annual Carneige Mellon University International Film Festival runs from March 24 to April 9, and this year features three films from Asia: 
Tickets are available online.

Thursday, March 17, 2022

"Future Tense: Microcinema Screening" with several Chinese, Taiwanese filmmakers, March 24 at The Andy Warhol Museum.


The Andy Warhol Museum will host "Future Tense: Microcinema Screening," featuring several Chinese and Taiwanese filmmakers and currated by Barbara London and Ellen Larson, on March 24.
We are living in a time of crisis. Anxieties about the future and questions concerning the sustainability of the planet and its inhabitants have never felt more urgent. Future Tense asks how artists approach these and other global uncertainties in relationship to identity, home, and environment. Selected videos highlight both the fragility and resilience of human ingenuity in relationship to nature, space, and place. Collectively, the artists included in this program direct themselves towards the future. They look to the past to reclaim lost histories while simultaneously imagining new possible futures. Participating artists: Imani Dennison, Fang Tianyu, Thomas Allen Harris, Pedro Neves Marques, Joan Michel, Su Yu-Hsin, Wang Mowen, and Zheng Yuan.
The event runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and tickets will be available online soon.

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

2021 Japanese animated film Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん) in Pittsburgh, April 27 and 28.


The 2021 Japanese animated film Pompo: The Cinéphile (映画大好きポンポさん) will play in Pittsburgh on April 27 and 28. A synopsis, from the distributor:
Pompo is a talented and gutsy producer in “Nyallywood,” the movie-making capital of the world. Although she’s known for B-movies, one day Pompo tells her movie-loving but apprehensive assistant Gene that he will direct her next script: a delicate drama about a tormented artistic genius, starring the legendary and Brando-esque actor Martin Braddock, and a young actress seeking her first break. But when the production heads towards chaos, can Gene rise to Pompo’s challenge, and succeed as a first-time director?

Directed by veteran animator Takayuki Hirao and produced by brand-new animation studio CLAP, Pompo the Cinephile is a rollicking, exuberant ode to the power of the movies, and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process, as a new director and his team devote their lives to the pursuit of a “masterpiece.”
It is currently scheduled to play locally at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson, though more theaters may be announced later.

2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) in Pittsburgh (again) from March 20.


After its month-long run at the Harris Theater earlier this year, the acclaimed 2021 Japanese film Drive My Car (ドライブ・マイ・カー) will play in Pittsburgh again from March 20 as part of "Oscar Movie Week." A brief synospis from a December 7 NPR review:
The story follows a middle-aged Tokyo stage actor named Kafuku, superbly played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. He's a calm, mild-mannered guy who's been married for two decades to a screenwriter named Oto. We get a sense of their mutual devotion when we see Kafuku driving around in his bright red Saab, rehearsing his lines by listening to audio tapes that Oto has painstakingly recorded for him.

But their relationship is more complicated than it appears. Years ago, Kafuku and Oto experienced an agonizing loss that has led her to find solace — and perhaps something more — in relationships with other men. Kafuku has deep compassion for his wife, which doesn't make her betrayal any less painful. And then another tragedy strikes when Oto dies suddenly.
It is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront on March 20, 22, and 24, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless and Robinson on the 22nd and 24th. The shows are in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

2022 Summer Kung Fu Culture Camp at Win-Win Kung Fu in Squirrel Hill, July and August.

Squirrel Hill's Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center will host a 2022 Summer Kung Fu Culture Program this July and August.

2022 Summer Intensive Program

 

Week 1. July 25 – 29

Week 2. August 1 - 5

Week 3. August 8 - 12

Week 4. August 15 - 19

 

 

Squirrel Hill Studio

2705-2707 Murray Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15217

 

Learn kung fu with champion masters!

Learn Chinese language, Chinese culture and more!

 

 

Register Now!

 

Register by May 31st to get $30 off weekly tuition!

 

 

2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 18 to 31 at Row House Cinema.


The 2022 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will run from March 18 through 31 at the Row House Cinema. This year's lineup includes:
Plus, there's a collection of "Japan's Craziest TV Gameshows." Tickets and packages are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

"Action Conversations on Race: Anti-Asian Racism," March 16 with the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh.


The YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh will host a panel discussion on Anti-Asian Racism on March 16, part of its "Action Conversations on Race" series.
On this day last year in Atlanta, we faced a grim reminder that AAPI women are routinely targeted by violence. It is not enough that President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law as a response to rising anti-Asian violence. Join us in conversation as our panelists discuss taking effective and comprehensive action against anti-Asian racism.
The talk runs from 12:00 to 1:00 pm; those interested can register online or watch on Facebook Live.

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