February 2013 Events

Tags

Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Film Festival, Glasgow, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham, Sheffield, Studio Ghibli

You are not going to run out things to do (or, rather, films to watch) in February, regardless of where you are in the UK.

Note: I’m not really providing synopses this time round, there are simply too many films. Just click on the external links, where you’ll find more info.

As always, if I’ve missed anything, get in touch!

LAST UPDATED: 6/2/2013

January 2013 Events

Tags

Barbican, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Manchester, Studio Ghibli, Terracotta

It’s January, which means it’s a new year. And plenty of things for you to do and films to see this month already, although we are bit on the thin side Korean-wise (at least for the moment).

Let me know if I have missed anything!

LAST UPDATED: 14/1/2013

December Events 2012

Tags

Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Year of 12 Directors, Zipangu

December, December… the year is coming to an end and at least in this part of the world people are sort of busy with Christmassy things. This also means that there is relatively little going on in terms of film festivals and film screenings. I couldn’t find much at least – do give me a heads up if you see anything I missed or if you hear about any new events being organised.

P.S. I hope no one finds red-tinted snowflakes creepy…

LAST UPDATED: 4/12/2012

November Events 2012

Tags

Barbican, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Year of 12 Directors

November is here and I want some fog pretty please. And snow for my birthday – that’s on top of my wish list every year, but in this country it’s always a wish unfulfilled (in my native one, sometimes I get lucky, sometimes I don’t).

Events are winding down a bit after the super-intense month of October (Raindance, BFI Festival, Scotland Loves Anime, etc.)… or maybe it’s just because I’ll be missing out on some of them that the month doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming, for quite a few events are scheduled, including the ever-bigger London Korean Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival.

Note 1: This page will be updated as more information becomes available. If you see anything I have missed, do alert me to it!

Note 2: This month’s Events image is inspired by 우리들의 행복한 시간 (Woorideuleui Haengbokhan Sigan/Maundy Thursday aka Our Happy Time, 2006), which will be screening at the KCCUK. Originally a Korean novel, it became a (Japanese) manga (「私たちの幸せな時間」/Watashi-tachi no Shiawase na Jikan, 2007, by Sahara Mizu aka Yumeka Sumomo) as well as the Korean film.

LAST UPDATED: 12/11/2012

October Events 2012

Tags

Barbican, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Year of 12 Directors

The film festival season gets into full swing (this month’s cover image should give you a visual impression of the deluge of films coming our way): Raindance continues, the madness of the UK’s biggest film event – the London International Film Festival - descends upon the capital, to be followed by the most comprehensive Im Kwon-Taek season that we have probably ever seen in this country, while J-animation fans get their fix up north at Scotland Loves Anime. Let’s hope we’ll all still be breathing when the month is over!

Note: This page will be updated as more information becomes available. If you see anything I have missed, do alert me to it!

UPDATED: 10/10/2012

September Events 2012

Tags

Barbican, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Year of 12 Directors

LAST UPDATED: 21/09/2012

September means that the film festival season is starting, with the Zipangu Fest and the Raindance Independent Film Festival kicking off first. There are of course festivals all year round, however, it just seems that autumn brings particularly many and particularly big ones in short succession of one another. It’s a busy time for us Asian and world film lovers.

August Events 2012

Tags

Barbican, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Year of 12 Directors

Last updated: 7/8/2012

I am away in India all this month, so you will have to enjoy these screenings for me. Apologies for the post being a day late – it does mean some events are over already – but airplanes still are lacking behind in offering internet services (heck, didn’t I even have a power point at my seat!).

There doesn’t seem to be all that much on at the moment. I guess the Olympics are entertainment enough? But I think this bit of ‘cinematic quiet’ is not all that bad as September and especially October will bring a deluge of film festivals, including some of the UK’s biggest.

UPDATE 2/8/2012: Might have to eat my own words – at least for fans of terror and horror, all kinds of things are being screened.

Review:「アイキ」 (Aiki/Aiki)

Tags

Japanese Embassy London, London

Year: 2002
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Director: Tengan Daisuke
Screenplay: Tengan Daisuke
Cinematography: Yi Yi-shu
Soundscore: Kumagai Yoko, Urayama Hidehiko
Cast: Kato Haruhiko, Tomosaka Rie, Ishibashi Ryo
Runtime: 118 min
Trailer: on YouTube

Seen at a screening as part of the Films at the Embassy of Japan programme.

The Olympics are nearly upon London and it is becoming more obvious every day. The fact that the monthly film screening at the Embassy of Japan took place a week earlier than normally – presumably to avoid the chaos of the Olympics’ opening days – was one indicator, but so was the choice of film screened: Aiki, after all, is a tale of the powerful spirit of sport.

Manga Jiman Competition

Tags

competition, Japanese Embassy London

When I attending the Japanese Embassy’s monthly film screening of Aiki (Japan, 2002 – review to follow) last night, I picked up a leaflet for the 6th Manga Jiman competition. (The picture above is a scan – leaflet ended up slightly crumpled in typical alua-fashion .)

July Events Calendar

Tags

BFI, Film Festival, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, Korean Film Night, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, Year of 12 Directors

UPDATED: 11/7/12

This month starts off with a bang as several festivals continue and others are about to commence. It gets a bit quieter towards the middle and end of July, but perhaps that’s not to compete too much with Olympics? Well, that’s the rationale we can make for London at least.

June Events Calendar

Tags

Barbican, Edinburgh, Film Festival, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London

UPDATED 9/6/2012 – BFI links fixed!

A great range of events this month. Lots of fabulous films. The ICA in particular is showing plenty of love for Korean cinema and then there is of course the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which has all kind of gems on offer.

Of Exams, Uneventful Travels, M & Things to Come

Tags

Film Festival, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, London, Miyazaki Hayao, Studio Ghibli, trailers

Pile. Of things to watch. To review. Or some, just to rewatch for joy. And a few, like Kokowääh, to never look at again. (The books are mostly uni stuff.)

I’m back – back from my blog hiatus and recently back in the UK also.

May Events Calendar

Tags

Film Festival, ICA, Japanese Embassy London, KCCUK, Korean Film Night, London, Studio Ghibli

There are loads, so get ready:

Review: わが愛の譜 滝廉太郎物語 (Waga ai no fu Taki Rentarō monogatari/Bloom in the Moonlight)

Tags

花, Japanese Embassy London, London, Taki Rentarō, 滝 廉太郎

Year: 1993
Director: Sawai Shinichirō (澤井信一郎)
Screenplay: Ito Ryoji, Miyazaki Akira, Sawai Shinichirō
Cinematography: Kimura Daisaku
Cast: Kazama Tōru, Washio Isako, Dan Fumi
Runtime: 125 min
Trailer: Not available

Seen at a screening as part of the Films at the Embassy of Japan programme (see also widget on Otherwhere’s left sidebar).

Every month the Japanese Embassy in London screens a film at its (aptly titled) “Films at the Japanese Embassy” event. I have only attended two screenings thus far – this particular one plus the one for 風の又三郎 ガラスのマソト (Kaze no Matasaburō: Garasu no masoto/The Glass Cape) – but my impression is that films are selected with much care and often include gems that are otherwise rather hard to come by. While Kaze no Matasaburō introduced a children’s tale that is much beloved in Japan but virtually unknown anywhere else, Waga ai no fu Taki Rentarō monogatari ventures into the country’s history of classical music.

Review: 風の又三郎 ガラスのマソト (Kaze no Matasaburō: Garasu no masoto/The Glass Cape)

Tags

Japanese Embassy London, Katabuchi Sunao, Studio Ghibli

Year: 1989
Director: Toshiya Itoh
Screenplay: Tsutui Tomomi, Toshiya Itoh
Cinematography: N/A
Cast: Hayase Misato, Kobayashi Yu, Shiga Junichi, Amasaga Toshiyuki, Uchida Asao, Dan Fumi, Kusakari Masao
Runtime: 107 min
Trailer: no trailer available, but 4 min clip of the opening is on YouTube

Seen at a screening as part of the Films at the Embassy of Japan programme.

It’s another film that is simply magical. Kaze no Matasaburō: Garasu no masoto (literally Matasaburō of the Wind: Cape of Glass) depicts a story of childhood in the rural Japan of the 1920s. At the heart of the tale is Takada (Kobayashi Yu), a young boy, whose father is transferred to a remote village in the Tōhoku region. Takada arrives there on the very windy 210th day of the year, which immediately raises suspicion in the village children: he must, they whisper amongst themselves, be Matasaburō, the son of the wind god, who appears on this day and stays until the 220th – a suspicion that seems confirmed when it turns out that Takada’s first name is Saburō.