THE APPA Newsletter

Nov 29, 2005

See This Weekend

MISSION STATEMENT:

Promote full utilization of the capabilities of the Enterprise's employees and champion the betterment of the company and community. Promote interest in Asian Pacific issues and culture and act as a bridge to all groups within our community.

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ed. by Douglas Ikemi

(dkikemi@pacbell.net)

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Back issues of the newsletter for all of 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 are available at http://www.ikemi.info/APPA/newsletters.html if you want to look up some past event. The website www.apa-pro.org no longer exists

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Please send in information on cultural events and news items to dkikemi@pacbell.net. Thanks to those who have.

Long range calendar items:

Chinatown Farmers Market Every Thursday, 3:00pm to 7:00pm Chinatown Business Improvement District http://www.ChinatownLA.com/ For Information (213)_ 680-0243

May 15 through January 15, 2006 Milton Quon: A Retrospective

This retrospective exhibit will showcase the broad range of Milton Quon’s practice from fine art to commercial work,much of which is on public display for the first time.A quintessential Los Angeles artist, Quon was born in 1913 and raised in Los Angeles. After graduating from the Chouinard Institute of Art, Quon’s career in the commercial arts took him to Walt Disney Studios where he worked as a designer and painter. From the 1940s to the ‘60s, Quon worked as an art director at ad agency Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn. From whimsical cherubs in Disney’s Fantasia to bold advertising posters, Quon’s commercial work will be presented alongside the artist’s rich collection of fine art works.

Tuesdays through Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Chinese American Museum, 425 N. Los Angeles St.

Suggested $3 donations

INFO: 213-485-8567, www.camla.org

May 15 through January 15, 2006, A Portrait of My Mother - A Photo Exhibit by Sam Lee

This exhibit features a photographic series, A Portrait of My Mother by Sam Boi Lee, an emerging Los Angeles-based, Chinese American photographer. Lee’s poignant photographic series operates like a photo-essay told through eloquent images of his mother’s world, from everyday objects that are imbued with his mother’s nurturing strength, to his own expressions of loss and love.

Tuesdays through Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Chinese American Museum, 425 N. Los Angeles St.

Suggested $3 donations

INFO: 213-485-8567, www.camla.org

An Assortment of Beauties: Japanese Woodblock Prints Collected by Frank Lloyd Wright

July 29, 2005 - January 9, 2006

The exhibition features Japanese woodblock prints devoted to images of beautiful women. This theme is one component of a school of picture making known as ukiyo-e, which can be translated as "pictures of the floating world." Beautiful women (bijin) were depicted alone as well as in small and large groups, entertaining themselves by playing games, preparing themselves for the night, or promenading though the city with their attendants or children. All of the approximately 12 woodblock prints included in this exhibition were once owned by the celebrated American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), who was a spirited collector of Asian art, including Japanese woodblock prints. Featured artists include Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764), Kitagawa Utamaro (1754-1806) and Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825).

Images of beautiful women provide an important theme for the Japanese art of ukiyo-e, which can be translated as "pictures of the floating world." Woodblock prints by ukiyo-e artists became extremely propular during the Edo period (1600-1868), due to the blending of classical Japanese aesthetics with contemporary urban themes. In this medium, the hedonistic worlds inhabited by geisha, courtesans and Kabuki actors were often portrayed. Beautiful women, or bijin, were depicted alone as well as in small and large groups, entertaining themselves by playing games, preparing for the evening or promenading through the city with their attendants and children.

All of the prints included in this intimate exhibition were once owned by the celebrated American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), who was an avid collector of Asian art, especially Japanese woodblock prints. Wright often incorporated Japanese aesthetics into his own architectural designs. He began purchasing prints around 1900 while living in Chicago and expanded his collection considerably during his many trips to Japan, between his first visit in 1905 and his completion of Tokyo's Imperial Hotel in 1922.

The Norton Simon Museum has more than 350 prints form Wright's personal collection. Featured artists in this exhibition include Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764), Suzuki Harunobu (1724-1770), Kitigawa Utamaro (1754-1806) and Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825).

http://www.nortonsimon.org/exhibitions/current_exhibitions.asp#2

Nov 18 to Feb 12, 2006 Place/Displace, Three Generations Taiwanese Art exhibit at the Pacific Asia Museum

December 09 Photo Exhibition - Sri Lanka Tsunami Recovery

At 8320 Melrose Ave

Featuring Speakers Currently Engaged In Field Work In Sri Lanka

Opening Night Event: 7pm, Thursday December 8th
Exhibit Will Be Open December 9 & 10 (11am-7pm)

Operation USA & Tamil Rehabilitation Organization
Please RSVP to nimmi@opusa.org or call 323-658-8876

Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

8320 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Tel: 323-658-8876
www.thehealingcontinues.com

Posted by: Asia Institute

December 10 Craft Class with Ryosen Shibata

At Japanese American National Museum

Design variations of greeting cards to share in the spirit of the winter season.

Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Special Instructions

$8 for National Museum members; $13 for non-members, includes supplies and Museum admission. Reservations are recommended

Tel: 213.625.0414, www.janm.org

Dec 10 Shades of Meaning: Photographs, Family, and Memory with Deborah Willis, Ph.D. Deborah Willis, Professor of Photography and Imaging at NYU, is an internationally respected authority on photographs and family history. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” award, Willis brings fresh and accessible perspectives on the role of photographs in the making and carrying of meaning among families.

2PM at the JANM

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012, phone: (213) 625-0414, www.janm.org

Dec 17 Little Tokyo Walking Tour

Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum docents on this historic walking tour. $8 for National Museum members; $13 for non-members, includes Museum admission. Reservations along with comfortable walking shoes and clothes are recommended. Weather permitting.

10:15 at the JANM

JAPANESE AMERICAN NATIONAL MUSEUM 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012, phone: (213) 625-0414, www.janm.org

December 17 Holiday Arts & Crafts

At Japanese American National Museum

A fun-filled, festive afternoon of creative ornament making and holiday crafts...perfect gifts for the holiday season!

Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Special Instructions

$8 Adults, $5 Seniors (age 62 and over), $ 4 Students and Children (ages 6 – 17), Children 5 and under and Museum Members FREE * All programs are free with paid admission, unless otherwise stated Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM Thursday: 10 AM to 8 PM Closed Mondays

Tel: 213.625.0414, www.janm.org

Dec 17 Fourth Annual HIROSHIMA "Spirit of the Season" Holiday Show

Introducing singer/songwriter, Justis Kao

Special Guest Stars:

Jim Gilstrap, vocalist

Diane Louie, composer/conductor

Dave Honjio, trumpet

Special Appearance by On Ensemble

"Spirit of the Season" is one of the finest CD collections to date by Hiroshima. . . Full of imagination and vigor . . . a joy to hear. Hiroshima is one of the best jazz groups recording today, each musician is a master of his instrument!" - www.jazzreview.com

Hiroshima brings special guest stars to celebrate the holiday season with the community - legendary studio singer, Jim Gilstrap; band leader and trumpeter of Carry On, Dave Honjio, and one of the most brilliant musician/ arranger/composer/conductors in the world, Ms. Diane Louie with more special surprise guests to be added.

The (nearly acoustic) concert features cuts from the band's latest CD "Obon" and selections from their critically acclaimed CD "Spirit of the Season," both on Heads Up International.

8pm  Aratani/Japan America Theatre

$35 orchestra, $30 balcony

$32, $27 JACCC Members, Groups 10 or more, Students with ID

Check our website at www.hiroshimamusic.com

December 18 The World of the Geisha "Gion Bayashi"

Lecture by Andrew Maske A recognized scholar of Japanese art who has held positions at the Peabody Essex Museum, the Rhode Island School of Design, and Harvard University, Andrew Maske presents a lecture on the fascinating and often misunderstood entertainers known as geisha. The explanation provides background and context for the movie, "Gion Bayashi."

Presented by The Japan Foundation of Los Angeles.

Sunday, 1pm  Aratani/Japan America Theatre

$7 General Admission and $5 JACCC Members, www.jaccc.org

December 18, "Gion Bayashi" ("Gion Festival Music/aka A Geisha")

Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi 1953

In Japanese with English subtitles

Set in Kyoto and Tokyo in the early 1950's "Gion Bayashi" ("Gion Festival Music/aka A Geisha"), stars Wakao Ayako as a young geisha, training in traditional Japanese arts and challenged by the culture she enters. The film explores the clash of pre-war traditionalism in the pleasure quarters with the new atmosphere of individual liberty and equal rights for women in post-war Japan.

Sunday, 3pm Screening

 Aratani/Japan America Theatre

$7 General Admission and $5 JACCC Members www.jaccc.org

December 18, 2005 / Chinese American Museum / Time TBA
Celebrate CAM’s Second Anniversary with an insightful discussion and book-signing event with award-winning and best-selling author, Angi Ma Wong, as she debuts her new children’s book, “Who Ate My Socks?” Members receive priority seating.

www.camla.org

El Pueblo de Los Angeles

125 Paseo de la Plaza, Suite 400

Los Angeles, California 90012

(213) 485-8567

December 27 Oshogatsu Workshops for Children

Enjoy a one-day workshop while learning about the symbols and festivities surrounding Oshogatsu or Japanese New Year. The fun, hands-on educational program will include craft activities and workshop/demonstrations by local artists and community members. For more information or to register please call Sara Rodriguez at (213) 628-2725 x142.

Session 1

Tuesday, 10 am - 3pm

Session 2

Wednesday, December 28

10 am - 3pm Conference Rooms, Second Floor

$25 Non Members, $20 JACCC Members

Children ages 7 - 12

Limited to 30 participants per session

January 8, 2006 Messengers from Forbidden Mountain

Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and The Japan Foundation of Los Angeles Present:

KOTOHAJIME Both solemn and festive, the closing of an old year and the beginning of a new one are viewed as a time of reflection as well as festivity. Kotohajime is the JACCC's annual celebration of traditional and contemporary performances in observance of the New Year. Messengers from Forbidden Mountain.

This year's celebration includes the performance "Messengers from Forbidden Mountain" on Sunday, January 8, 2006 from 1 p.m. and a Shikishi exhibition at the George J. Doizaki Gallery. This year's Shikishi theme is Hatsu-hanashi (First-story) will be exhibit from January 8th through January 29th.

Viewing Los Angeles as the contemporary Silk Road: where the routes for commerce, culture, language, and arts, intermingle as they migrate, "The Messenger from Forbidden Mountain" performance features an eclectic blend of traditional and contemporary arts.

"Messenger" features Masakazu Yoshizawa's expertise with Japanese wind instruments, Shakuhachi and Nohkan, Yuval Ron's unique mix of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern music, and the Japanese archery group IKKYU.

Yoshizawa, along with his group Kokingumi, set a strong foundation with their blend traditional and contemporary Japanese music for this performance. Joining Yoshizawa in Kokingumi are Hiromi Hashibe on the Koto and Takeo Takahashi on the Tsugaru Shamisen.

Ron is an international composer, performer, educator and record producer. His ensemble includes Arabic, Israeli and Jewish musicians as well as Christian Armenian artists. Ron is dedicated to building musical bridges between people of Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths.

Presented by The Japan Foundation of Los Angeles

Saturday, at 1pm.   JACCC Plaza 

Admission is Free

January 21 THE SHAPE OF MEMORY

THE SHAPE OF MEMORY: Okinawan American oral history workshop and visual art installation

A visual art installation that will exhibit objects created by workshop participants of Okinawan descent. These objects will be placed as "shapes of memory" on a map that connects Okinawa, the U.S., Latin America and other spheres of the Okinawan Diaspora.

This workshop series invites those of Okinawan descent to come together to share stories from their lives while constructing objects made from paper and clay to represent moments from their past, present and future.

Facilitated by performance artist-in-residence Denise Uyehara with visual artist Lee Ann Goya. This free workshop takes place on Saturdays October - November. To sign up please call (310) 285-3698.

This project is supported in part by the Department of cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

Saturday,, 12 pm

2 pm Reception   George J. Doizaki Gallery

Admission is Free

Feb 18 55th Anniversary U.S. Tour

Prayer - Harvest - Celebration

Warabi-za

Recognized for their centuries old folk music, energetic dance, and taiko, Warabi-za returns to the U.S. with a special program comprised of traditional Japanese folk performances from various prefectures of Japan.

The 2006 US Tour Prayer-Harvest-Celebration will feature a creative dance piece titled "Oyako jishi" with dancers in the guise of a lioness and her cub perform a heartening and encouraging prayer for children to persevere through times of hardship. "Sado okesa," a traditional dance characterized by the wave-like movements of the water-surrounding Sado Island (home of the famed KODO drummers).

The tour is under the direction of Hiroshi Kuriki, with composition and choreography by Kenji Osakake and music direction by Masaru Iijima.

Aratani/Japan America Theatre;

Japanese American Cultural and Community Center 244 South San Pedro Street, Suite 505
(between 2nd and 3rd Streets), Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012
(213) 628-2725

Aratani/Japan America Theatre Box Office Info: (213) 680-3700

$30 orchestra, $27 balcony

$27, $24 JACCC Members, Groups 10 or more

February 18, 2006 / Chinese American Museum / 12 – 7pm
Celebrate the Fifth Annual Lantern Festival!

www.camla.org

El Pueblo de Los Angeles

125 Paseo de la Plaza, Suite 400

Los Angeles, California 90012

(213) 485-8567

February 24, 2006 / Time and Place TBA
Lantern Festival Banquet 2006

www.camla.org

El Pueblo de Los Angeles

125 Paseo de la Plaza, Suite 400

Los Angeles, California 90012

(213) 485-8567

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This Weekend (and earlier)

November 30 Screening - Too Beautiful to Lie

At Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles

Voted Funniest Couple in Korean Cinema 2004!

“Too Beautiful to Lie” is different. It presents a carefully thought-out drama, based on a story of untrue love and fraud. The script for the film, originally titled “A Cuckoo Flew into the Dove’s Nest” won a grant in 2002 from the Korean Film Commission for its excellence and potential. The prized screenplay was adapted by scriptwriter Park Yeon-sun, known for the screenplay of “My Tutor Friend,” and the result, a film packed with fun and humor.

A conwoman skilled in the arts of deception and disguise, and a naive pharmacist caught in her web. This odd couple creates a totally eventful drama with wacky episodes, misunderstandings and lies. “Too Beautiful Too Die” outdoes all the other comic melodramas with a well-developed storyline and hilarious elements of comedy. A true winner!

Title: Too Beautiful To Lie (2004)
Directed by: Bae Hyeong-jun
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Main Cast: Kim Ha-neul, Kang Dong-won
Running time & Rating: 115 minuets, Unrated
Provided by the Cinema Service (Korean with English Subtitles)
Synopsis: Yeong-ju (Kim Ha-neul) has it all - cute looks, innocent smile, and she’s also a brilliant talker. But in fact, she’s an ex-convict for fraud. She passes the evaluation for parole with ease. As soon as she is released, she boards the train for Busan, with the wooden geese she has crafted herself as her older sister’s wedding gift. Meanwhile, Hui-cheol (Kang Dong-won) is a pharmacist from Yonggang Village. He was on his way to Busan to propose to her girlfriend with the ring that used to belong to his deceased mother. The two are sitting across from each other. He drops the ring on the floor which ends up between Yeong-ju’s feet. As he tries to get it back, Yeong-ju wakes up, and slaps him in the face thinking he was up to something…

Date: Wednesday, 2005

Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles
5505 Wilshire Ave
3rd Floor, Auditorium (Ari Hall)
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Cost: Free

Special Instructions

The film screenings are free and open to public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Tel: 323-936-7141
cinema@kccla.org

December 2 Linda's Wondrous Violin

Friday at 12:30 pm

Shumei Hall, 2430 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena 91107

Free Admission

A brilliant violonist, Linda Wang made her solo debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta when she was nine years old. She will present a celebration of violin music from the 17th century to the present. Children will learn about the history of the violin and witness its wondrous capabilities.

Reservations can be made by calling at 626 584 8841.

This concert is supported by the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts.

http://www.shumeiarts.org/events.html

December 02, Screening - MOTHER (Okaasan)

At UCLA 
Part of the Naruse Mikio Film Series

UCLA Film & Television Archive presents

NARUSE MIKIO
Saturday, November 5 – Friday, December 2, Naruse Mikio (1905-1969) is widely regarded as one of the giants of pre-New Wave Japanese cinema.  But unlike his contemporaries Kurosawa, Mizoguchi and Ozu, his films remain largely unseen in this country.  This relative obscurity is ironic considering that Naruse’s WIFE, BE LIKE A ROSE! (1935) was the first Japanese film to have a theatrical release here.  In place of Kurosawa’s bravado and Mizoguchi’s melodrama, Naruse’s films are shot through with an austere but lyric stoicism presented with a sublime simplicity.

*All films in Japanese with English subtitles, FRI 12/2 7:30 pm, MOTHER  (Okaasan), (1952)
This tale of a Tokyo family struggling at the end of World War II focuses on the family’s matriarch. Tanaka Kinuyo is memorable as the title character, desperate to keep her family together as it is threatened by illness, poverty and malicious gossip. Her ultimate defeat provides a heartbreaking portrait of the social collapse of the immediate postwar years that bears comparison to Italian neo-realism. While no sentimental tearjerker (especially next to other Japanese “mother pictures” of its era), MOTHER is one of Naruse’s most nakedly emotional films. Shin Toho. Producer: Nagashima Ichiro. Screenwriter: Mizuki Yoko. Cinematographer: Suzuki Hiroshi. With: Tanaka Kinuyo, Mishima Masao, Kagawa Kyoko, Enami Keiko. 35mm, 98 min. THE WHOLE FAMILY WORKS  (Hataraku ikka) (1939) The Ishimura family barely ekes out a living by combining the wages of parents and children alike, but their economic survival is threatened when the family’s four sons begin to rebel against their overbearing father. Weaving together several plotlines with a skillful blend of realism and melodrama, THE WHOLE FAMILY WORKS prefigures Naruse’s masterpieces to come and calls into question the oft-repeated opinion that the wartime years represent a slump between his earlier work and the postwar melodramas. In fact, the film’s suggestion of a parallel between wartime militarism and patriarchal repression was daring for its time. Toho. Producer: Takeyama Masanobu. Screenwriter: Naruse Mikio. Based on the novel by Tokunaga Sunao. Cinematographer: Suzuki Hiroshi. With: Tokugawa Musei, Honma Noriko, Ubukata Akira, Ito Kaoru. 35mm, 65 min.-

VENUE:   Films screen at the James Bridges Theater in Melnitz Hall, located on the northeast corner of the UCLA Westwood campus, near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Hilgard Avenue

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

UCLA
James Bridges Theater in Melnitz HallLos Angeles, CA 90095

Cost: $8

Special Instructions

Tickets are also available at the theater starting one hour before showtime: $7 general admission; $5 students, seniors and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID.

Tel: 310.206.FILM., www.cinema.ucla.edu

December 03 Performance - Contemporary World Dance

At El Portal Forum Theatre

Think globally: dance locally! Dancing in the Margins Festival 2005 presents a weekend of world dance with choreography from Indonesia, India, Korea, Ghana, Senegal, and Latin America.  The Festival takes on social issues such as immigrant assimilation, breast cancer, female circumcision, and the psychological effects of colonialism. Featuring Artists: Ana Maria Alvarez and contra-tiempo,ostnatyam Collective, Iddi Saaka, Phylise Smith and Serakumbili Project, Sri Susilowati, and HyunJung Kim Yoo.

Friday-Saturday December 2-3 at 8 p.m. Sunday December 4 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

El Portal Forum Theatre 5269 Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601

Tickets available at the door (cash only): $16 general, $13 seniors and students

Tel: 626-298-1915 www.dancinginthemargins.com

Cancelled December 3 Zuiho-Daiko & Iwami Kagura

A special performance of taiko and Kagura,"music of the gods," a Shinto ritual theatre prominent in the Iwami region of Japan. Kagura performances reenact well-known Japanese legends.

Performed by the Youth

For information contact Ritsuko Powell at (310) 525-1670 x273.

Saturday, at 2pm & 5pm  Aratani/Japan America Theatre

$25 orchestra $22 balcony $24 General Admission

www.jaccc.org

Screening - THE BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (Ma Yongzhen)

At James Bridges Theater Part of the Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film, Part II

UCLA’s Westwood campus Thursday, November 17 - Sunday, December 11.

Please also note that the late Bruce Lee would have been 65 years old this month.  The Archive will be showing both THE WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972) and FIST OF FURY (1972) with Bruce Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee Keasler, introducing the films. In keeping with martial arts movie tradition, the UCLA Film & Television Archive returns with a sequel to the successful Heroic Grace series launched in 2003. Grace II accords a closer look at the overlooked auteurs of the martial arts cinema.  To the roster of masters Zhang Che (Chang Cheh) and King Hu (Hu Jinquan), we can now add Chu Yuan (Chor Yuen) and Lau Kar-leung (Liu Jialiang), and possibly Chung Chang-wha, Wu Ma and Huang Feng.  At various points in their careers, these directors worked for major Hong Kong studios Shaw Bros., Cathay and Golden Harvest. At other times, they branched out on their own, shooting movies in Taiwan or for smaller independent companies in Hong Kong, or in the case of Chung, worked in South Korea.   

SAT  12/3  7:30 pm

Newly restored by Celestial Pictures THE BOXER FROM SHANTUNG  (Ma Yongzhen) (Hong Kong, 1972)  Directed by Zhang Che and Bao Xueli (Pao Hsueh-li)
This brutal fight film adapts the proverbial rise-and-fall gangster formula to the mean streets of ’30s Shanghai. Chen Guantai is a poor hick from Shandong (“Shantung” according to the old Wade-Giles romanization) whose fearsome boxing ability allows him to muscle his way to the top of the Shanghai underworld. Bursting with typically Zhangian bloodshed and distinguished by Chen’s authentic kung fu technique (the film proved to be the actor’s breakout vehicle), BOXER also features Shaw luminaries David Jiang as a charismatic gangland don and Jing Li as a principled songstress. Among its highlights that have inspired a host of imitators: an iconic match between Chen and a Russian wrestler, and ruthless hatchet-wielding thugs, most recently revived as the “axe gang” in Stephen Chow’s comic tribute to the martial arts cinema, KUNG FU HUSTLE.Shaw Bros. Producer: Runme Shaw. Screenwriters: Ni Kuang, Zhang C. Cinematographers: Gong Muduo, Ruan Dingbang. Martial Arts Directors: Tong Kai, Lau Kar-leung, Lau Kar-wing (Liu Jiarong), Chen Quan. Editor: Guo Tinghong. With: Chen Guantai, Jing Li, David Jiang (Jiang Dawei), Ma Lannu. 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles, 126 min.

LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA  (Shiba Ban Wuyi)
(Hong Kong, 1982)  Directed by Lau Kar-leung
Director Lau Kar-leung’s exhilarating exposition on Chinese martial arts has been hailed as the ultimate film on the subject, and it’s easy to see why. It argues for realistic kung fu (skilled effort) over fakery and spectacle. A compendium of 18 classic weaponry and combat styles, including “weaponless” fist-fighting, the film also reiterates a favorite theme of the martial arts cinema—the training of a disciple by a master, though it shifts the usual focus on the pupil to the teacher and his ethical responsibilities. Lau himself stars as an erstwhile master who, having disavowed the messianic bullet-repelling hocus-pocus of the Boxer rebels, is now pursued in exile by three young Boxer assassins: the acolyte Xiao Hou, the nimble-footed Kara Hui and the fanatically implacable Gordon Liu (36 CHAMBERS OF SHAOLIN, KILL BILL 2). Action choreography here is patented Lau: marvelously inventive and as tightly syncopated and high-spirited as old school funk.
Shaw Bros. Producer: Mona Fong. Screenwriters: Lau K.L, Li Taiheng. Cinematographer: Ao Zhijun. Martial Arts Directors: Lau K.L., Jing Zhu, Xiao Hou. Editors: Jiang Xinglong, Li Yanhai. With: Lau K.L., Kara Hui, Lau Kar-wing, Xiao Hou. 35mm, in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles, 101 min.

SUN  12/4  7:00 pm

THE JADE TIGER  (Bai Yu Laohu)
(Hong Kong, 1977)  Directed by Chu Yuan
Chu Yuan’s penchant for labyrinthine plotting reaches its zenith in this dizzying adaptation of the Gu Long source novel. Di Long heads an all-star cast as a Zhou warrior catapulted by the threat of his father’s decapitation, delivered on his wedding day, into the middle of a no-holds-barred war between his clan and the Tangs. The outrageous characters, exotic weapons and proliferating layers of subterfuge are hyperbolic even by the standards of an already excess-saturated subgenre. Chu’s characteristic visual splendor contributes to the air of delirium, but a self-conscious pathos about the futility of martial rivalry lends the film thematic ballast and anticipates the reflexive tone adopted in the melancholy wuxia by the Hong Kong New Wave of the ’80s.
Shaw Bros. Producer: Mona Fong. Screenwriters: Gu Long, Chu Y. Cinematographer: Huang Jie. Martial Arts Directors: Tong Kai, Huang Peiji. Editor: Jiang Xinglong. With: Di Long, Gu Feng, Li Lili, Luo Lie. 35mm, in Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles, 101 min.

THE ROMANCE OF BOOK AND SWORD  (Shu Jian En Chou Lu)
(Hong Kong/PRC, 1987)  Directed by Ann Hui (Xu Anhua)
Ann Hui’s moving historical drama (the first of a two-part release) is based on a novel by arguably the most illustrious martial arts writer working in the Chinese language today, Jin Yong (aka Louis Cha). Set in turbulent 18th-century China, the epic tale revolves around two Han Chinese brothers who grow up on opposing sides: one is raised as the Manchu emperor while the other becomes the leader of a secret society dedicated to overthrowing Manchu rule. ROMANCE was one of the first Hong Kong productions to be shot on location in Mainland China, and it uses the country’s imposing geography, ranging from desert to mountain and ocean, to create a rich visual texture without sacrificing stirring action or the intricate narrative thread of the source material. Focused on fraternal conflict and political intrigue, ROMANCE was interpreted by many contemporary viewers as an allegory of relations between Hong Kong and China pre-1997.
Sil-Metropole. Producers: Guo Fengzhi, Shen Minghui. Screenwriter: Jin Yong, A. Hui. Cinematographer: Ximu Xiao’er. Martial Arts Director: Wu Jianqiang. Editor: Qiu Muliang. With: Da Shichang, Zhang Duofu, Liu Jia, Yu Li. 35mm, in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles. 88 min.

WED  12/7  7:30 pm

DIRTY HO  (Lan Tou Hou)
(Hong Kong, 1979)  Directed by Lau Kar-leung
Fighting without seeming to fight—that’s the ingenious premise at the heart of this dazzler by martial arts grandmaster Lau Kar-leung. The director’s mainstay Gordon Liu plays a prodigal prince (and hyper-cultivated epicurean) targeted for assassination by his elder brother. Enter Wang Yu (not to be mistaken for the star of ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN) as the eponymous Ho, a boisterous ruffian who reluctantly apprentices himself to the expert Liu. With the killers disguised as a wine merchant and an antiques dealer, the prince finds himself parrying dangerous kicks and blows while in art appreciation mode. The climactic fight-back-to-the-palace pitting prince and apprentice against a battery of swords and arrows is a set piece for the ages. Like the title it belies, this movie about the art of the martial arts brilliantly distills its director’s penchant for discoursing on the beauty and rigor of a genre that’s clearly more than chopsocky.
Shaw Bros. Producer: Run Run Shaw. Screenwriter: Ni Kuang. Cinematographers: Huang Yuetai, Ao Zhijun. Martial Arts Director: Lau K.L. Editors: Jiang Xinglong, Li Yanhai. With: Wang Yu, Gordon Liu Jiahui, Kara Hui, Xiao Hou. 35mm, in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles, 100 min.

FRI  12/9  7:30 pm

Newly restored by Celestial Pictures

MY YOUNG AUNTIE  (Zhangbei)
(Hong Kong, 1980)  Directed by Lau Kar-leung
A young widow (Kara Hui) arrives in Guangdong to deliver a fought-over deed of inheritance to the rightful heirs, her crotchety nephew-by-marriage (Lau Kar-leung) and his westernized son (Xiao Hou). Age and gender role reversals allow for a wealth of kung fu funny business: the nephew is easily twice as old as the aunt but still bound to respect family hierarchies; the fetching aunt has serious warrior chops despite her traditionally feminine appearance. Freely mixing martial arts moves with allusions to popular Hollywood genres (musicals, swashbucklers and even war movies), MY YOUNG AUNTIE is an unalloyed triumph of kung fu comedy. Hui delivers a winning performance as the woman who unsettles the standard teacher-student paradigm of Lau’s oeuvre. Shaw Bros. Producer: Run Run Shaw. Screenwriters: Lau K.L., Li Taiheng. Cinematographer: Ao Zhijun. Martial Arts Directors: Lau K.L., Jing Zhu, Xiao Hou. Editors: Jiang Xinglong, Li Yanhai. With: Lau K.L., Kara Hui, Xiao Hou, Wang Longwei. 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles, 114 min.


New 35mm print from Columbia Repertory

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA  (Huang Feihong)

(Hong Kong, 1991)  Directed by Tsui Hark (Xu Ke)

Tsui Hark takes on the popular Wong Fei-Hung (Huang Feihong) legend in this rousingly revisionist film, the first in a six-part series that re-imagines the martial arts paragon for the wuxia-meets-kung fu “wire-fu” action of the ’90s. A Jet Li in peak form summons a whirling arsenal of “shadowless kicks,” somersaults and leaps to repel the incursion of opium and slave trading by corrupt Westerners into China in the 19th century. The film makes room for grand historical drama and slapstick comedy, sumptuous period décor and whimsical romance, but is best remembered for its virtuosic choreography of combat, most famously the breathtaking fight to the death atop bamboo ladders. Golden Harvest. Producer: Tsui H. Screenwriters: Leung Yiu-ming, Elsa Tang Bik-yin, Tsui H., Yuen Gai-chi. Cinematographers: Arthur Wong Ngok-tai, Bill Wong Chung-bo, David Chung Chi-man. Martial Arts Directors: Lau Kar-wing, Yuen Shun-yi, Yuen Cheung-yan (Yuan Xiangren). With: Jet Li, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan Chi-lam, Jackie Cheung Hok-yau. 35mm, in Cantonese with English subtitles, 134 min.

SAT  12/10 7:30 pm

Restored by the Hong Kong Film Archive

THE VALIANT ONES  (Zhonglie Tu)
(Hong Kong, 1975)  Directed by King Hu

King Hu’s kinesthetic poetry gets distilled to its essence in a late masterpiece suffused with a deep sense of melancholy. Set characteristically for Hu in the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th century), THE VALIANT ONES refers to the crack team—including a coolly enigmatic swordsman (Bai Ying) and his taciturn wife (Xu Feng)—assembled by military strategist Roy Chiao to defend the Chinese coast against Japanese pirates. Tantalizingly abstract in its fight choreography—action is expressed in calligraphic strokes such as the brief clanging of blades, the whizzing-by of arrows and the rhythmic flight of bodies—the film is nevertheless majestic in its evocation of landscape. But unlike the preternaturally gifted heroes of most swordplay films, Hu’s valiant ones are mortal. His “Picture of Valor” (the film’s Chinese title) is ultimately ironic; its somber resolution undercuts any triumph in victory.
Producer/Screenwriter: K. Hu. Cinematographer: Chen Qingqu. Martial Arts Director: Sammo Hung. Editor: Xiao Nan. With: Roy Chiao, Xu Feng, Bai Ying, S. Hung. 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles, 107 min.

CLANS OF INTRIGUE  (Chu Liuxiang)

(Hong Kong, 1977)  Directed by Chu Yuan
Chu Yuan continued his cinematic transmutation of the Gu Long literary oeuvre with this gripping wuxia “whodunnit” set in the timeless realm of martial chivalry. Famed swordsman Chu Liuxiang (Di Long) is framed for the murder of three clan chiefs. Leaving behind leisure and connoisseurship—a resplendent houseboat and poetry-spouting friends—Chu embarks on an investigation that leads him from a mystery woman to Buddhist monks and a grotto-dwelling clan of female fighters led by a lesbian (Betty Bei Di). Gradually he uncovers a convoluted conspiracy that culminates in an unforgettable gender-bending twist. Fantastical and fringed with risqué sexual flourishes, CLANS OF INTRIGUE is echt Chu, a baroque martial arts saga replete with artifice and larger-than-life archetypes engaged in elegantly choreographed mortal combat.
Shaw Bros. Producer: Runme Shaw. Screenwriter: Ni Kuang. Based on a novel by Gu Long. Cinematographer: Huang Jie. Martial Arts Directors: Tong Kai, Huang Peiji. Editor: Jiang Xinglong. With: Di Long, Betty Bei Di, Nora Miao, Yue Hua. 35mm, in Mandarin with Chinese and English subtitles, 99 min.

SUN  12/11  7:00 pm

Newly restored by Celestial Pictures

THE FIVE VENOMS  (Wu Du)
(Hong Kong, 1978)  Directed by Zhang Che
Long a favorite of martial arts movie fans, THE FIVE VENOMS was the defining showcase for late-career, all-male-ensemble Zhang Che. The dying master of the Venoms House tasks his one remaining disciple to bring to justice the young man’s five predecessors, now dispersed and fallen into ignominious criminality. The elder Venoms quintet, however, possesses formidable skills, each in a distinctive fighting style: scorpion, snake, centipede, gecko and toad. The youngest Venom locates them in a small town, and in this nexus of gold loot, shady cops and corrupt judges, a suspenseful mystery plot unfolds, punctuated by some of the most lucidly articulated and imaginative fight sequences of the martial arts cinema. Uncharacteristically—and unlike even the previous Heroic Grace selection, BLOOD BROTHERS—Zhangian brotherhood is rent asunder by greed and betrayal among men.
Shaw Bros. Producer: Runme Shaw. Screenwriters: Ni Kuang, Zhang C. Cinematographers: Gong Muduo, Cao Huiqi. Martial Arts Directors: Liang Ting, Lu Feng, Dai Qixian. Editor: Jiang Xinglong. With: Jiang Sheng, Sun Jian, Guo Zhui, Lu Feng, Wei Bai, Luo Mang. 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles, 97 min.

PARKING: There is free parking on Loring Ave. after 6pm on weekdays and all day on weekends.  Parking is also available adjacent to the James Bridges Theater in Lot 3 for $8. 

(The Archive has made the following arrangement for its patrons: Archive patrons can purchase a parking permit for $5 to be used for future visits to the James Bridges Theater for a screening.  This represents a $3 savings over the usual price of $8.) 

Date: Saturday, December 03, 2005

Time: 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

UCLA
James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Special Instructions

Tickets are also available at the theater starting one hour before showtime: $7 general admission; $5 students, seniors and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID.

Tel: 310.206.FILM.
www.cinema.ucla.edu

December 03 National Veterans Oral History Project

At Japanese American National Museum

The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has embarked on an ambitious project to record the life stories of America's war veterans. Panelists will share and discuss the progress and strategy of the Library of Congress and Japanese American organizations to record oral histories of Japanese American veterans. Presented in association with the Library of Congress, the National Japanese American Veterans Council, and the Go For Broke Educational Foundation.

Saturday,, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Special Instructions

$8 Adults, $5 Seniors (age 62 and over), $ 4 Students and Children (ages 6 – 17), Children 5 and under and Museum Members FREE * All programs are free with paid admission, unless otherwise stated Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM Thursday: 10 AM to 8 PM Closed Mondays

Tel: 213.625.0414
www.janm.org

December 03 9th Annual Pilipino Christmas Festival: "Pasko Sa Aming Bayan"

At Cal State Long Beach

This holiday season, spend some time with CAL STATE UNIVERSITY LONG BEACH's own PILIPINO AMERICAN COALITION and KAPPA PSI EPSILON as we celebrate our Pilipino culture and heritage.  So bring all your family and friends as we invite you to "PASKO SA AMING BAYAN."

To bring our communities together to share the most revered tradition in the Pilipino culture.  Bringing back the spirit of "Pasko" by providing an atmosphere of traditional awareness of cultural identity and consiousness of cureen and historical Pilipino-American issues.

Plus a variety of community vendors and art exhibitors for you to see! And live performances by PAC Modern, Next Phaze, Non-Stop, Undeclared, and Phaze ONe.

Saturday,11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Cal State Long Beach
Long Beach, CA 

Cost: Free

Directions: 405 South exit Bellflower head south on Bellflower left on State University Drive Location - in front of University Student Union

Tel: (310) 669-4786
www.lbpac.com

Folk Dancing for Families

At Japanese American National Museum

December 03, In conjunction with the exhibition Big Drum: Taiko in the United States. Fun for the entire family! Learn traditional techniques, basic patterns of folk dances, and new songs from around the world. Sponsored, in part, by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Saturday, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Special Instructions

$8 Adults, $5 Seniors (age 62 and over), $ 4 Students and Children (ages 6 – 17), Children 5 and under and Museum Members FREE * All programs are free with paid admission, unless otherwise stated Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM Thursday: 10 AM to 8 PM Closed Mondays

Tel: 213.625.0414, www.janm.org

Dec 6 Lecture- "Japanese and Chinese Gardens: Are They Different?"

At The Huntington Library

A series of public lectures on Chinese gardens and related topics begins this fall at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.  Addressing different aspects of the history, art, and culture of China that are closely linked to traditional garden designs, these lectures will help create the historical and cultural contexts for the Huntington’s own Chinese garden, which is currently under construction.  The first series, consisting of four lectures, will focus on defining the characteristics of Chinese garden design.  The lectures are free.  All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in Friends’ Hall at The Huntington.

Kendall H. Brown, professor of art history at California State University, Long Beach, will discuss the styles and designs of Japanese gardens both in and outside of Japan, and will provide insights into how a Japanese garden differs from a Chinese garden.  The topic is particularly interesting as it relates to The Huntington, where a Japanese style garden established nearly 100 years ago will soon be joined by a Chinese garden.   In addition to his renowned scholarship in Japanese prints and painting, Brown is also a well-known speaker and writer on Japanese gardens.

Tuesday, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

The Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108

Cost: Free

For more information please contact

Lisa Blackburn Tel: (626) 405-2140 lblackburn@huntington.org

Dec 6 – (Tues) To the Dream Mountain (Kanavu Malayilekku)
Duration: Approx 1 hr
Language: Malayalam, with English subtitles
Kanavu is a unique experiment in cultural formation and learning that is unfolding in the Wayanad District of Kerala under the initiative of the well known Malayalam Novelist and theatre personality K J Baby. Kanavu attempts to reassert the tribal identity and impart to tribal children a sense of self worth and dignity through a unique educational process. The film won the State award for best documentary in 2001.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

UCLA
2438b Boelter hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Special Instructions

Parking: Structure 6 ($2 per hour, metered)

Last weekend I went to:

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Links to selected articles from the LA Times. To actually access the articles, you may have to sign up for a free account.

Nov 20 Reelpolitik

They might be watching behind closed curtains, but Arab Muslims have a hearty appetite for. American movies. That doesn't mean they think any better of the U.S. Or does it?

By Joseph Braude, Joseph Braude is a weekly columnist for The New Republic Online and the author of "The New Iraq" (Basic Books, 2003). He is based in New York City.

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-tm-arabmovies47nov20,1,1938717.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Nov 12 Strawberry Farming Grows Less Fruitful for Japanese Americans

By Teresa Watanabe, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-strawberry12nov12,1,2784915.story

Nov 11 J.A. ADANDE:

Dream Could Be a Bad One for Ng

Kim Ng is well prepared to be a groundbreaking general manager, which is why I hope she doesn't get that chance with the Dodgers.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-adande11nov11,1,683241.column

Nov 9 Japanese pop

Izakaya, those trendy late-night gastropubs, are bursting onto the scene here.

By Linda Burum, Special to The Times

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-izakaya9nov09,1,1420141.story

Nov 27 L.A. Renews Its Libraries as Modern Civic Centers

More than just housing books, the new and refurbished branches bring people together.

By Noam N. Levey, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-me-libraries27nov27,1,6198700.story

Nov 27 METROPOLIS / SNAPSHOTS FROM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

Democracy Downtown

A snazzy new landmark hopes to get us all talking

VICTORIA NAMKUNG

http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-crhirano48nov27,1,284402.story

Nov 26 Pat Morita, 73; Actor Starred in 'Karate Kid' Movie Series

By Jon Thurber, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-morita26nov26,1,2589624.story

Nov 26 BELIEFS

L.A.'s Christian Mongolians Find Home at Church

A small group gathers in Koreatown on Sundays to share their faith and support each other in a new land.

By K. Connie Kang, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-belief26nov26,1,5993677.story

Nov 26 When sharing runs afoul of the law

Two East Coast synagogues that showed the Orthodox movie 'Ushpizin' have run up against intellectual property rights.

By Elaine Dutka, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/cotown/la-et-ushpizin26nov26,1,2284944.story

Nov 25 THE WORLD

Spill Taints Beijing Image

The factory accident that poisoned a Chinese river has laid bare problems such as official secrecy and destruction of the environment.

By Mark Magnier, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-water25nov25,1,1160471.story

Nov 24 Baby Girl to Stay With Guardians

From Associated Press

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-child24nov24,1,5793932.story

Nov 24 Trade Spat Ferments Over Spicy Cabbage

South Korea bans the import of kimchi from China, alleging parasitic contamination. Chinese producers see the move as protectionism.

By Don Lee, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-kimchi24nov24,1,521963.story

Nov 18 Onetime Espionage Suspect Is Arrested

After being cleared in China spy case, she's accused in an alleged marriage scam.

By H.G. Reza, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-agent18nov18,1,3510181.story

Nov 17 New Spy Case Prompts Skepticism

Some in the Southland's Chinese community see parallels to earlier arrests involving Katrina Leung and Wen Ho Lee.

By Jia-Rui Chong, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chinese17nov17,1,2101811.story

Nov 28 OBITUARIES

Reginald Myers, 85; Won Medal of Honor in the Korean War

By Matt Schudel, Washington Post

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-myers28nov28,1,7164325.story