H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese & Korean Cinema

Mark%20Mays tetsuwan at comcast.net
Thu Aug 27 16:58:49 EDT 2009


The Kobayashi didn't have much representations of blackness as I recall aside from the child's birth. It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I think the director was talking about his prejudices (or lack). 

I recall a movie with Claude Maki, Dean Stapleton and Yuki Uchida, BEAT from the late 90s. It's set in Vietnam era Okinawa, complete w/ hooker w/ heart of gold (Uchida) who is raising her daughter, born of rape by a GI (for some reason I recall the daughter as being half Black but memory fails. It isn't such a memorable film). Again, not much on "representations" except the shadowy figure of a scary Black GI at one point. 

Isn't Maki a rapper now? 



----- Original Message ----- 
From: eigagogo at free.fr 
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu 
Sent: Thursday, August 27, 2009 7:55:33 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central 
Subject: Re: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese & Korean Cinema 

+ Kurahara's Black Sun ! 
http://auteursnotebook.s3.amazonaws.com/multiple%20images/Kurahara/spK09.jpg 



Selon JORDAN ANTONY SMITH <oyabaka at ucla.edu>: 

> 
> Robin, 
> Your email has been circulating on the KineJapan listserv.. hope you find 
> some good ideas here. 
> 
> Don't forget EXTREME PRIVATE EROS (極�エロス�歌1974) from 
> Hara and Kobayashi--great film with a live birth of a mixed-race baby and 
> much more. 
> 
> I have the Oshima film you mention on DVD. I can send it to you if you like. 
> If not, look out for some Oshima box sets which are floating around (many are 
> Chinese pirate versions, so be careful/ethical, etc.)--or see if you can con 
> NYU into springing for it! 
> 
> See the messages below from others too... 
> 
> Best, 
> Jordan 
> 
> 
> 
> On Today 6:32 PM, thomas.lamarre at mcgill.ca wrote: 
> 
> > Suzuki Seijun's Nikutai no mon (1964) would be very interesting for 
> > this project. 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On 8/26/09 9:27 PM, "Michael Kerpan" <mekerpan at verizon.net> wrote: 
> > 
> > Two films I can think of offhand.... 
> > 
> > Imai's Kiku and Isamu -- focus is on two children of a Japanese mother 
> > (now deceased) and a black GI (long ago returned to the US) being brought 
> > up by their grandmother. 
> > 
> > Shinozaki's Not Forgotten -- has a side story about a young half-black 
> > boy who is befriended by none of the central characters. 
> > 
> > --- On Wed, 8/26/09, Melek Ortabasi <mso1 at sfu.ca> wrote: 
> > 
> > > From: Melek Ortabasi <mso1 at sfu.ca> 
> > > Subject: Fwd: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, Japanese 
> > & Korean Cinema 
> > > To: "KineJapan" <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu> 
> > > Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2009, 8:34 PM 
> > > Forwarding this from H-Japan, apropos 
> > > the recent discussion on "whitewashing!" Perhaps someone can 
> > > write back to Robyn, who may not know of this list. 
> > > 
> > > Best, 
> > > Melek 
> > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- 
> > > From: "H-Japan Editor" <j-edit at MAIL.H-NET.MSU.EDU> 
> > > To: H-JAPAN at H-NET.MSU.EDU 
> > > Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:00:23 PM GMT -08:00 
> > > US/Canada Pacific 
> > > Subject: H-JAPAN (E): representations of blacknesS, 
> > > Japanese & Korean Cinema 
> > > 
> > > On-line editor: Janet R. Goodwin <jan at cs.csustan.edu> 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > H-JAPAN 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > August 23, 2009 
> > > 
> > > From: Robyn Citizen <rc1434 at nyu.edu> 
> > > 
> > > Hi all, 
> > > 
> > > My dissertation project concerns the representation of 
> > > blackness in 
> > > Japanese and Korean cinema - this includes black bodies 
> > > (African-Americans 
> > > or people of African descent as characters), black 
> > > culture/hip-hop 
> > > culture, and blackness as a visual or linguistic signifier 
> > > of absolute 
> > > difference, racial or otherwise (it is my understanding 
> > > that in earlier 
> > > Japanese cinema people from the South Seas were referred to 
> > > as "blacks", 
> > > for example). 
> > > 
> > > While I have a modest list of films which I can use, I'd be 
> > > very grateful 
> > > for more suggestions of post-WWII movies that touch upon 
> > > these topics. 
> > > 
> > > If anyone knows where I can find a copy of Oshima's "The 
> > > Catch" (Japanese 
> > > title "Shiiku", 1961) it would also be extremely helpful. 
> > > 
> > > Thank you for help! 
> > > 
> > > Best, 
> > > Robyn 
> > > 
> > > Robyn Citizen 
> > > PhD Candidate 
> > > Cinema Studies 
> > > New York University 
> > > alternate e-mail: ladykaede1221 at gmail.com 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > ******************************************************** 
> > > TO POST A MESSAGE 
> > > TO THE H-JAPAN LIST 
> > > 
> > > SEND MAIL TO 
> > > 
> > > h-japan at h-net.msu.edu 
> > > 
> > > ******************************************************** 
> > > 
> > > -- 
> > > Melek Ortabasi, Ph.D. 
> > > Assistant Professor 
> > > World Literature Program 
> > > Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences 
> > > Simon Fraser University 
> > > Unit 250-13450 
> > > 102 Ave., Surrey, BC 
> > > V3T0A3 CANADA 
> > > Phone: 778-782-8660 
> > > 
> > > "Education is what survives when what has been learned is 
> > > forgotten." -- B. F. Skinner, "Education in 1984," _New 
> > > Scientist_ (1969) 
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 


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