Masters of Asian Cinema Begins Nov. 7 with 'Sweet Bean'

This year’s Masters of Asian Cinema series begins with Kawase Naomi’s 2015 Sweet Bean, which will screen at 6:30pm on Tuesday, November 7th at the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay Street.) The film will be introduced by Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies at Western Washington University Colleen Laird, whose research focuses on Japanese women directors. Laird’s description of this film is below:

"Despite concerns about her age and physical condition, hard luck Sentaro hires frail Tokue to make the sweet bean paste for the dorayaki confections he sells in his small shop. The two form an unlikely bond through the common link of traumatic pasts. Thanks to Tokue, Sentaro’s business thrives, but the friendship falls apart when both pasts are brought to light by meddlesome and vindictive parties with a stake in limiting Sentaro’s success.”

Co-sponsored by Western Libraries and the Pickford Film Center, the Masters of Asian Cinema series continues the rich tradition that began with the Masters of Japanese Cinema series, one of the Pickford's longest running and most popular series. Each film in the Masters of Asian Cinema series begins with an introduction from select speakers including local professors, artists, and educators.

This year’s film line-up includes two of the greatest films by Satyajit Ray, both starring Madhabi Mukherjee: Charulata and The Big City.  The 2012 China co-production Drug War  made by the contemporary Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, is also on this season’s schedule. Maborosi, the first feature by Kore-eda Hirokazu, will be here in March in a newly restored print. 

Later in the spring, the PFC will screen Taiwanese filmmaker Chen Kuo-fu’s 2001 The Personals.  And finally, three features by Taiwanese director Edward Yang will also be shown: his last feature, Yi Yi, his second feature Taipei Story (written by and starring director Hou Hsiao-hsien), and, in a special presentation, his remarkable 4-hour film A Brighter Summer Day, (which will screen on a Saturday morning because of its runtime.) 

For more information about the Masters of Asian Cinema series, please contact Jeff.Purdue@wwu.edu.