Damn, I'm on the wrong coast. This sounds fantastic. <br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 11:49 AM, Jonathan M Hall <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jmhall@uci.edu">jmhall@uci.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div style=""><div><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Be there or be online!</font></div><div>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">jmh</font></div><div><font face="'Times New Roman'"><br></font></div><div><font face="'Times New Roman'">----------------------------------</font></div><div><font face="'Times New Roman'"><br>
</font></div><div><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">USC East Asian Distinguished Visual Cultures Program presents<br></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"><br></font><br><font size="4" face="Times New Roman, Times"><b>IWAI SHUNJI<br>
</b></font><br><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Saturday, April 18, 2009<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">University of Southern California<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Please RSVP to <a href="mailto:eascrsvp@usc.edu" target="_blank">eascrsvp@usc.edu</a> with your name & number of guests.<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Schedule<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">12:00-2:30pm Screening of ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU <br></font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">2:30-4:30pm Panel on "Iwai in the World, in Asia"<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">4:30-6:30pm Screening of LOVE LETTER<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">6:30-7:15pm Q&A with Filmmaker Iwai Shunji<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">7:15-8:00pm Reception in honor of Iwai Shunji<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">The panel discussion will feature Michael Berry (Associate Professor of Contemporary Chinese Cultural Studies, University of California Santa Barbara), Dong Hoon Kim (Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California), Sachiko Mizuno (Doctoral Candidate, Film, TV, and Digital Media, University of California Los Angeles), Akira Lippit, Moderator (Professor of Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Critical Studies in Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California).<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">IWAI SHUNJI<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">One of the most popular and influential Japanese directors of his generation, the multi-talented Shunji Iwai is commonly recognized for his distinctive and innovative visual style. Although describing himself as an "eizo sakka" (visual artist), characters and plot themes are often excellently developed in his films, all of which he has personally scripted. Iwai has also edited several of his films, and has even scored the music for more recent efforts. Often using women protagonists, Iwai has garnered fine performances from Japanese Pop singers in key roles, most notably <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620421/" target="_blank">Miho Nakayama</a> in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113703/" target="_blank">Love Letter</a> (1995) and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0152713/" target="_blank">Chara</a> in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117338/" target="_blank">Pikunikku</a> (1996) and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117797/" target="_blank">Suwarôteiru</a> (1996). A trend-setter, he has created a style that resonates with Japanese pop culture, striking a chord with contemporary Japanese youth, especially young women. (Excerpt from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412517/bio" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0412517/bio</a>).<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU (2001), 146 min <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Life isn't easy for a group of high school kids growing up in Japan's pervasive pop/cyber culture. As they negotiate teen badlands- school bullies, parents from another planet, lurid snapshots of sex and death- these everyday rebels without a cause seek sanctuary, even salvation, through pop star savior Lily Chou-Chou, embracing her sad, dreamy songs and sharing their fears and secrets in Lilyholic chat rooms. Immersed in the speed of everyday troubles, their lives inevitably climax in a fatal collision between real and virtual identities, a final logging-off from innocence. (Synopsis from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297721/plotsummary" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0297721/plotsummary</a>).<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">LOVE LETTER (1995), 117 min<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Hiroko Watanabe's fiancé Itsuki died two years earlier in a mountain climbing accident. While looking through his high school yearbook, Hiroko in a fit of grief decides to write a letter to him using his old school address. Surprisingly she receives a reply, not from the dead Itsuki, but from a woman with the same name whom had known Hiroko's fiancé in school. A relationship develops between the two women as they continue to exchange letters and share memories of the dead Itsuki. (Synopsis from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113703/plotsummary" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113703/plotsummary</a>).<br>
</font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Sponsored by the USC East Asian Studies Center<br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br></font><br><font face="Times New Roman, Times">For any additional questions, contact us at <a href="mailto:easc@usc.edu" target="_blank"><u>easc@usc.edu</u></a><u></u> or 213-740-2991.<br>
<br>Parking is available at PSD for $8. Enter campus through Gate #5 at Jefferson Blvd. and McClintock Ave. and proceed to parking kiosk. Off-campus parking is also available at lots on Jefferson Blvd. and the street. <br>
<<a href="http://www.usc.edu/private/about/visit_usc/USC_UPC_map_color.pdf" target="_blank"> <u>http://www.usc.edu/private/about/visit_usc/USC_UPC_map_color.pdf</u></a><u> </u>>.<br></font><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<font color="#006312" face="'Times New Roman'"><br></font></div></blockquote><p><b></b> </p></div></div><br><div style=""><div></div><br></div><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>-rob<br><a href="http://www.robixsmash.com/">http://www.robixsmash.com/</a><br>
<a href="http://www.orlandoweekly.com/film/">http://www.orlandoweekly.com/film/</a><br><a href="http://www.insulinfunk.net/">http://www.insulinfunk.net/</a><br>