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Washington University's Film and Media Studies, International and Area Studies, and East Asian Studies with the assistance of the Japan Foundation present a two-day mini- Japanese Film Festival, February 15-16, 2008.Both films start at 7:30 p.m. and are free to the general public. The screenings take place in Brown 100 on the Danforth Campus of Washington University.February 15, "Hanging Garden" (2005) 113 min, directed by award-winning Toshiaki Toyoda ("Pornostar," "Blue Spring," "9 Souls"), delves into the quirky soul of a dysfunctional family struggling to survive the pressures of a degenerate age. Beset by secrets, threatened by the disintegration of her family, Eriko, the mother, takes action, catapulting the family to its greatest crisis and offering an invaluable solution.February 16, "Linda, Linda, Linda" (2005), 114 min, directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, set in a high school on the outskirts of Tokyo, traces the trials and triumphs of an all-girl band on the cusp of adulthood. The film uses minimalist, Art House stylistics in its presentation of teenage angst, uncertainty, and friendship. Featuring Korean actress Bae Doo-na (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and a cameo by punk rock legends The Ramones.No longer fetishized for its Fujiyama and Geisha girls, the Japan of 2008 offers a darker beauty. Wan, empty, and stretched thin by years of excess, contemporary Japan seeks a return to more wholesome values鍟o families and friendships. The mini-festival will provide viewers a glimpse into a Japan on the brink by showcasing two films produced in 2005: Hanging Garden(Toshiaki Toyoda, 113 min) and Linda, Linda, Linda(Nobuhiro Yamashita, 114 min).For more information call the Film and Media Studies Program, (314) 935-4056. |
