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Celebrating actor/director Kinuyo Tanaka
J-Sei At the Movies: Watch Party with scholarly introduction & discussion
Saturday, July 9, 2022 – 6:30 pm on Zoom
Timed to coincide with an upcoming series on Japanese film legend Kinuyo Tanaka (1907-1977) at Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA), J-Sei Movie Night will host a program spotlighting Tanaka, who starred in 200+ films over her 50-year career, including classics by Mizoguchi, Ozu, and Naruse.
In addition to acting, Tanaka also was the second woman to direct a film in Japan. In all, she directed six films from 1953 to 1962, during Japan’s “golden age” of cinema. All six films are screening for the first time in American theaters thanks to 4K digital restorations. BAMPFA will present the six films, plus six additional films starring the versatile actor.
- The film series “Forever Kinuyo Tanaka” will be showing at BAMPFA July 8 – Aug. 28, 2022. Click here for schedule and ticket information.
On Saturday, July 9, J-Sei will livestream a film starring Tanaka (not part of the PFA series). The film will be preceded by an introduction on Tanaka and women directors in Japan by Japanese media and gender studies scholar Colleen Laird, Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Please join us for this illuminating program honoring one of world cinema’s greatest stars.
RSVP with “July Movie Night” in the subject line.
We’ll send Zoom information prior to the July 9 event.
[Please note that July 9 is a Saturday.]
J-Sei Movie Night Bento
July 9 Bento
For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup on Saturday, July 9 in conjunction with Movie Night. Stay tuned for Chef Yuji’s mouth-watering offerings.
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Curry Chicken Katsu: Chicken cutlet and vegetables with homemade chicken stock curry roux and fukujinzuke over koshihikari rice $18
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Seafood Curry: Assortment of shrimp, scallop, mussels, clams, homemade seafood stock curry roux and fukujinzuke over koshihikari rice $24
Click on the button below to place your order.
Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, July 9th. Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. 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 anywhere inside the box frame to open another pop-up and select the number of bento you want to order, then click on “Add item” to close the pop-up. 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 recently celebrated its third anniversary! 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. You are the best! We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.
Watch Party: “Hiroshima Carp Theater”
J-Sei At the Movies: Watch Party with Japanese Filmmaker Hideyuki Tokigawa
Friday, June 10, 2022 – 6:30 pm on Zoom
J-Sei is honored and thrilled to welcome Japanese indie filmmaker Hideyuki Tokigawa and to livestream one of his films. He founded his production company, TimeRiver Pictures, in 2009 to make independent films, all of which are affectionately set in his birthplace of Hiroshima and center on actual places and events.
Director Tokigawa will join us on Zoom from Japan to talk about his 2018 feature comedy-drama, HIROSHIMA CARP THEATER, which we will livestream. We’ll follow the virtual screening with a discussion and Q&A. Do not miss this unique opportunity to see this indie gem, a cinematic love letter to Hiroshima, and the artist who made it!
RSVP with “June Movie Night” in the subject line.
We’ll send Zoom information prior to the June 10 event.
Hiroshima Carp Theater (2018) starring Yoshimi Tokui and Honoka Yahagi
Aimi’s grandfather operates a historic movie theater in Hiroshima. The day before its final closure, a mysterious man named Tokuzawa appears. He tells a tale of Hiroshima’s past – of a baseball team, the Carp, and of their rise during the 1950s from the ashes of wartime; of how they were penniless, but with the support of their dedicated citizens they not only survived, but thrived. Through his tales of the past, the mysterious storyteller helps Aimi and her grandfather devise a plan to try and resurrect their movie theater, while at the same time the modern-day Hiroshima Carp team is enjoying renewed success in the Japanese baseball league.
See the trailer on Vimeo.
About the Filmmaker
Japanese filmmaker Hideyuki Tokigawa began his career in Singapore working for Discovery Channel Asia as a producer/director. In 2001 he moved back to Tokyo to work at Walt Disney Television International, where he led the TV Production Unit as Senior Producer. He studied filmmaking at Vancouver Film School and continued to hone his craft under the guidance of acclaimed Japanese director Shunji Iwai, with whom he worked on the 2002 FIFA World Cup feature documentary. In 2009 Hideyuki founded TimeRiver Pictures to independently create feature documentaries, television commercials, music videos, and short films. He made his feature directorial debut in 2012 with RADIO LOVE, which received the Audience Choice Award at Cinema Verde and was distributed nationwide in Japan. In 2014 he wrote and directed CINEMA ANGEL, about the closing of a real-life movie theater that had existed for over 100 years; it won Best Director and Best Feature Film at the Montelupo Fiorentino Film Festival. In 2018, Hideyuki’s next project, HIROSHIMA CARP THEATER, a unique human drama related to baseball culture and the city of Hiroshima, screened at the Hiroshima International Film Festival and the Oniros Film Awards, where it received the Hiroshima Peace Award and the Best Feature Film Award, respectively. His most recent film is 2020’s DANCING IN HER DREAMS, based on the life of a strip club owner in Hiroshima, which enjoyed a successful festival run and was honored with a Jury Award at the Madrid International Film Festival.
J-Sei Movie Night Bento
June 10 Bento
For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji for pickup on Friday, June 10 in conjunction with Movie Night. Stay tuned for Chef Yuji’s mouth-watering offerings.
- Menu tbd
Once the menu is announced, you can click on the button below to place your order.
Pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, June 10th. Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. 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 anywhere inside the box frame to open another pop-up and select the number of bento you want to order, then click on “Add item” to close the pop-up. 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 recently celebrated its third anniversary! 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. You are the best! We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.
BTS: the K-Pop Phenomenon
Introduction to BTS and Contra Costa County Library
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 – 4:00 pm on Zoom
Do you know BTS? Join Katy Buder, a Librarian from Contra Costa County Library, for an introduction to the record-breaking Korean music group, and the ways in which your local public library can help you access music, movies, books and more to satisfy all your interests for free.
In the course of the presentation you will learn about each of the seven members of BTS, their diverse discography, message and charity work, music videos & online content, awards, ARMY (fandom), and more. Katy will also show you how to get a Contra Costa County Public Library card and some of the unexpected resources it will provide. Time permitting, a Q&A will follow the presentation.
This program was requested and coordinated by members of J-Sei’s K-drama club and Katy is delighted to be able to combine her love for libraries and BTS to meet that request.
Register for this free event on Eventbrite to secure a virtual seat. We’ll send you Zoom info prior to the event.
Speaker bio
Katy Buder (she/her) was born and raised in the East Bay, receiving her B.A. from UC Berkeley in Classical Civilizations & Art History, and later a Masters of Library and Information Science from SJSU. She is currently the Youth Services Librarian at the Hercules branch of Contra Costa County Library, and previously worked in the El Cerrito, Pinole and Kensington branches. She is an avid reader of mostly Fantasy and Science Fiction, passionate about bringing resources to the communities she serves, and is known to her coworkers as “the girl who loves BTS.”
She first encountered BTS in 2016 after falling down a YouTube spiral. After watching a few music videos she asked herself, “Hmm, I wonder what their names are”—and the rest is history.
James Takata: Through the Lens of Filmmaking
J-Sei At the Movies: Meet Filmmaker James Takata
Friday, May 13, 2022 – 6:30 pm on Zoom
Director and cinematographer James Takata will be J-Sei’s special guest to talk about his career in TV and film. Fans of the hit series THIS IS US are in for a real treat, since James has been involved with the show since almost the beginning, as the A Camera/Steadicam Operator, as Director of Photography, and as Director of the recent episode “The Day of the Wedding.” In addition to working on several other TV shows, James has also directed documentaries, short films, and music videos. Join us to get the inside scoop on working in Hollywood and find out what’s next for James now that THIS IS US has come to its end after six successful seasons. We’ll share film clips as well as his first short film, REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR (2002).
RSVP with “May Movie Night” in the subject line. You’ll receive Zoom information prior to the May 13 event.
About the Filmmaker
James Takata is an American film director, producer, and writer. He has directed episodic TV, a feature documentary (WE THE PARENTS), narrative short films (BROKEN WINGS; TRAPPED; REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR), and music videos. As a longtime member of the ICG Local 600, he brings a keen understanding of fine art and cinematography to his work as a director. He has contributed additional cinematography for the hit TV show THIS IS US on which he is also the A Camera/Steadicam Operator. He has lensed 3 full episodes, and recently he directed an episode, “The Day of the Wedding,” which premiered on April 19 on NBC.
His films have screened at film festivals and received recognition and honors, including the Gold Award (Independent Shorts Family/Children) at WorldFest Houston for BROKEN WINGS (2016) and the 2010 Bronze Telly Award and a 2010 Accolade Award of Merit for TRAPPED (2010). James won the ICG Emerging Cinematographers Award for his work on the short film ONLY CHILD (2012).
James was born and raised in Los Angeles, and in high school received a scholarship to the Ryman Program for Young Artists. He studied at the Art Institute of Florence and the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, where he earned a B.A. in Studio Art.
[Photo credits: C. Thomas, R. Batzdorff, B. Lewin]
J-Sei Movie Night Bento
May 13 Bento
For movie night, you can order specially made obento from My Friend Yuji. Here are Chef Yuji’s mouth-watering offerings for this month in conjunction with Movie Night. Order for pickup on Friday, May 13.
- Ebi Chili Donburi: Japanese-style Szechuan chili sauced shrimp & seasonal vegetables over rice $18
- Mabo Tofu Donburi: Llano Seco ground pork, Joodooboo tofu, Japanese-style mapo sauce & pickled greens over rice $18
Click on the button below to place your order.
You can pick up your meal at the selected pick-up time at J-Sei on Friday, May 13th. Please remember to wear a mask and observe social distance protocol. 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 anywhere inside the box frame to open another pop-up and select the number of bento you want to order, then click on “Add item” to close the pop-up. 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 recently celebrated its third anniversary! 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. You are the best! We welcome any donations to help us offset costs for Movie Night. Thanks for considering this.