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Japanese Movie Night
J-Sei At The Movies (on Zoom)
Friday, April 12, 6:30 pm
J-Sei Movie Night is in its 7th year dedicated to the wonderful and fascinating world of Japanese cinema, as well as Japanese American and AAPI films too! It’s always great fun for movie night fans to meet regularly, usually on the second Friday of each month, to watch a film together, selected from among different genres and eras, and have a group discussion about it afterwards. On occasion we are fortunate to have special guests, such as film scholars and industry artists, join us to talk about their work in film. Each month is a treat!
This month’s movie – Shoplifters (2018)
万引き家族
In Japanese with English subtitles
Written and directed by Koreeda Hirokazu and winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes as well as numerous other accolades, including a near sweep at the Japan Academy Awards, this hit movie is about a makeshift family living on the edge in Tokyo and doing what they can to survive. Starring Lily Franky, Ando Sakura, Matsuoka Mayu, and screen legend Kiki Kirin in one of her final roles, this movie is hard-hitting and heartfelt while asking a lot of tough questions along the way.*
* Viewers who would like to view other Koreeda films as part of a larger discussion on the theme of “Family” are encouraged to visit other sites and resources, including Kanopy (available through your local library) and other streaming and dvd sites for movie lending, rental, or purchase.
Please join us on Friday, April 12, starting at 6:30pm (on Zoom).
RSVP to jill@j-sei.org with “Apr 2024 movie night” in the subject line to receive Zoom info prior to the event.
See you at the movies!
J-Sei Movie Night Bento
No obento this month! Check back next month!
Click on the button below to place your order. Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday. Please observe safety protocols when picking up your obento at J-Sei. Thank you!
To order: When you click on the button above, it will take you directly to a pop-up order form on the My Friend Yuji Tock webpage, where you first select a pickup time. In the next window, click on an item and select the number you want to order, then click “Add”; repeat with other items if desired. Click the “View order” bar at the bottom to confirm your order, then click “Continue to payment” to sign in and pay for your order.
Support J-Sei At the Movies
Thanks to you, J-Sei At the Movies is in its Seventh Year! We look forward to more creative programming with educational and inspiring Japanese and Japanese American films. We are especially grateful for the up close and personal chats with filmmakers as we learn so much from the exchange.
We love having a growing and enthusiastic audience. We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.
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Movie Night – Sleepy Eyes of Fun!
J-Sei At the Movies: Samurai Watch Party
Friday, November 10, 2023 (on Zoom)
This program originally scheduled for September is back on!
We will screen one of the films from the famed Nemuri Kyōshirō series, known in the U.S. as “Sleepy Eyes of Death” — 12 chambara films made in the 1960s starring matinee idol Ichikawa Raizo as the anti-hero ronin who travels the countryside and falls unwillingly into adventure and intrigue. While several versions of this story appeared in movies and TV throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, it was the version with Ichikawa, who was known as the “James Dean of Japan,” that is probably best known and loved. The film series would surely have continued beyond 12 films if not for the tragic early death of its star.
RSVP with “Nov Movie Night” in the subject line. We’ll send a Zoom link prior to the event. See you at the movies!
J-Sei Movie Night Bento
We’ll keep you updated if Movie Night Bento is happening. Please stay tuned. 🙂
Support J-Sei At the Movies
Thanks to you, J-Sei At the Movies is in its Sixth Year! We look forward to more creative programming with educational and inspiring Japanese and Japanese American films. We are especially grateful for the up close and personal chats with filmmakers and experts as we learn so much from the exchange.
We love having a growing and enthusiastic audience. We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.
J-Sei at the Movies: Japanese Movie Talk & Discussion
J-Sei Movie Night: Japanese Classic Movie
Friday, August 18, 2022 – 6:30 pm (on Zoom)
J-Sei Movie Night continues its summer program featuring meetings with scholars and professionals to educate us about the movies we love to watch.
For our next special program, on Friday, August 18, J-Sei Goes to the Movies to learn and talk about a groundbreaking work in Japanese film history. Our special guest, film scholar and programmer Rob Buscher, will introduce us to the classic Japanese film Crazed Fruit (狂った果実 in Japanese), which debuted in 1956 and launched an entirely new and radical film genre called taiyozoku (“Sun Tribe”) to the post-WWII generation of young filmgoers.
In this seminal Sun Tribe (taiyozoku) film from director Nakahira Kō, two brothers compete for the amorous favors of a young woman during a seaside summer of gambling, boating, and drinking. Adapted from the controversial novel by Ishihara Shintarō (who later became a very conservative mayor of Tokyo), and critically savaged for its lurid portrayal of the postwar sexual revolution among Japan’s young and privileged, Crazed Fruit is an anarchic outcry against tradition and the older generation.
The format for this month’s movie program is for each of us to watch the movie Crazed Fruit on our own (on streaming services or dvd rental—we’ll tell you how) beforehand. Then, on August 18, we’ll get together on Zoom to hear Prof. Buscher’s presentation about the movie and bring our own questions and comments to the group discussion that will follow.
This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about classic Japanese cinema from the experts. Please join us for a fun and enlightening evening!
RSVP with “August Movie Night” in the subject line.
We’ll send info to watch the movie and the Zoom link prior to the Aug 18 event.
Meet Our Speaker
Rob Buscher is a film and media specialist, educator, curator, and published author who has held leadership positions in non-profit organizations for over a decade. As a person of mixed-race Japanese American heritage who is deeply involved in his community, Rob also has an expertise in cultural sensitivity training, community organizing, and advocacy issues related to the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Rob serves as Philadelphia Chapter President of the civil rights group Japanese American Citizens League and lectures part-time at University of Pennsylvania’s Asian American Studies Program.
J-Sei Movie Night Bento – August 18
For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup on Friday, August 18 in conjunction with Movie Night. Here are Chef Yuji’s mouth-watering offerings:
- Yasai Agebitashi – Fried eggplant and okra marinated in dashi (can share between 2-3 people) – $14
- Corn and Tomato Pasta – Creamy chicken & corn sauce, fresh corn and summer tomatoes flashed and mixed into pasta – $18
- Salmon Teriyaki Donburi – Salmon teriyaki, daikon pickles, greens and koshihikari rice – $18
Click on the button below to place your order. Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, August 18. Please observe safety protocols when picking up your bento at J-Sei. Thank you!
To order: When you click on the button above, it will take you directly to a pop-up order form on the My Friend Yuji webpage, where you first select a pickup time. In the next window, click a bento and select the number you want to order; repeat with other bento if desired. Click the “View order” bar at the bottom to confirm your order and click “Continue to payment” to sign in and pay for your order.
Support J-Sei At the Movies
Thanks to you, J-Sei At the Movies is in its Sixth Year! We look forward to more creative programming with educational and inspiring Japanese and Japanese American films. We are especially grateful for the up close and personal chats with filmmakers and experts as we learn so much from the exchange.
We love having a growing and enthusiastic audience. We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.