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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2018)
April 2, 2018 Arts Culture & Entertainment Japanese films highlighted at Portland’s Northwest Film Center The Northwest Film Center is again featuring its Japanese Currents film series, which showcases a collection of Japanese cinema, from April 6 through 28. For the 11th year, the film center is screening Nipponese films ranging from anime to jidaigeki, docu- mentary to comedy. Featured works include: Parks April 6, 7:00pm Produced to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Inokashira Park in Tokyo, director Natsuki Seta’s Parks tells the story of three young friends who discover a reel-to-reel tape containing a fragment of a love song written and recorded in the 1960s by family members. Inspired by the hidden story from the past, they try to finish the song in time for the music festival celebrating the park’s centennial. (2017, 118 minutes) Neko Ninja April 7, 4:30pm From the director of Neko Samurai and its sequel Neko Samurai: A Tropical Adventure, comes Neko Ninja. Takeshi Watanabe’s film follows a skilled ninja who battles rival warriors alongside a cat, whom he believes is his ninja father. (2017, 95 minutes) Before We Vanish April 7, 7:00pm In Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Before We Vanish, a trio of extraterrestrials that have assumed human forms rob the minds of Earthlings of the basic concepts of life on Earth, paving the way for an invasion from beyond. The only thing standing in their way are a journalist who’s trying to fashion a story out of it all and a woman whose husband has been possessed by one of the aliens. (2017, 129 minutes) Our House April 13, 8:00pm Yui Kiyohara’s feature debut, Our House, was also her thesis film at the Tokyo University of the Arts, where she studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Our House is a shape-shifting film thick with atmosphere, false starts, and surreal touches that explores the inner lives of four women who share the same house at the same time, but don’t know it. (2017, 80 minutes) Mary and the Witch’s Flower April 14, 1:00pm From Studio Ponoc, the animation collective featuring several principal artists from the recently shuttered Studio Ghibli, Mary and the Witch’s Flower presents a young girl’s discovery of an enchanted broom. .HHSLQJ\RXULQFRPHƒJHWWLQJPHGLFDOFDUHƒPRYLQJLQWRRU RXWRIDFDUHIDFLOLW\ƒKRXVLQJSUREOHPVƒXWLOLW\VKXWRIIVƒ VWRSSLQJDEXVHƒFRQWHVWLQJDJXDUGLDQVKLS" Retirement For a free handbook, “Legal Issues for Older Adults,” published by the Oregon State Bar, call: 503-945-6237 (available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, or Chinese). Living S mith T ower NIPPONESE FILMS. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s Mary and the Witch’s Flower screens Saturday, April 14 as part of the Northwest Film Center’s Japanese Currents film series. The show- case begins April 6 and ends April 28. (Photo courtesy of the Northwest Film Center) Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi then transports the girl into a world of magic and adventure, leading to the further revelation of a mystifying flower whose seeds grant her powers. (2017, 102 minutes) Woman in the Dunes April 14, 4:00pm Director Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes tells the story of a young entomologist who finds himself trapped in a sand-drenched pit where he is at first encouraged to stay the night (and then forced to live and work) with a strange widow who lives in a shack being swallowed up by sand. (1964, 123 minutes) Tokyo Idols April 14, 7:00pm With a compassionate but nonethe- less critical frame, director Kyoko Miyake turns her lens on the world of the pop idols of Tokyo, where school-aged girls vie for the attentions and adoration of their dedicated fan base — mostly much older men — while pursuing dreams of becoming singers, dancers, and performers. (2017, 90 minutes) Suffering of Ninko April 20, 7:00pm One of Nikkatsu studio’s recent Roman Porno revival productions was made by director Norihiro Niwatsukino. Suffering of Ninko focuses on a Buddhist monk living during the Edo period whose vows of chastity are constantly tested due to his mere presence whipping up sexual desire in those around him. Meanwhile, in the forest, a woman who is irresistible to men leaves a trail of victims behind her. (2016, 70 minutes) Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High April 21, 4:30pm In Akira Nagai’s Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High, Teiichi Akaba enters a boys-only high school with an aim to triumph over every one of his classmates to become class president — and eventually ascend to the position of prime minister. Teiichi is confident of his path, but when he finally meets his rival classmates, he’s surprised. (2017, 118 minutes) The Third Murder April 21, 7:00pm Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s The Third Murder follows a star attorney who agrees to defend a man accused of murder after a fatal holdup. The accused has a long criminal record and narrowly escaped the death sentence for a different murder 30 years prior. His client has already confessed to the new murder, but while delving deeper into the case, the attorney begins to doubt his client. (2017, 125 minutes) Antiporno April 27, 7:00pm Director Sion Sono’s Antiporno is a drama about Japan’s oldest major movie studio, which asks a batch of venerable filmmakers to revive its high-brow soft-core Roman Porno series. (2016, 76 minutes) Kagemusha April 28, 7:00pm Master director Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha tells the story of a dying warlord during the Sengoku period who wants to hold power even after his death and employs a petty thief who happens to be his doppelgänger, but confusion reigns as competing warlords seek advantage to control vast swaths of Japanese society. (1980, 180 minutes) All films in the series are screened at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, located at 1219 S.W. Park Avenue in Portland. To learn more, call (503) 221-1156 or visit <www.nwfilm.org>. Hayao Miyazaki series featured during April at the Hollywood Theatre Another of Miyazaki’s films, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, centers on a princess who uses her ability to communicate with a gigantic crustacean to save her people from annihilation in a post-apocalyptic future. (1984, 116 minutes) Howl’s Moving Castle April 14, 2:00pm & April 15, 7:00pm In a world where modern warfare and fantasy collide, a teenage girl is transformed into an elderly woman in Howl’s Moving Castle, and it’s up to a mysterious wizard who occupies a mobile castle to save her. The two Age 60+? Need legal help for: For referral to an attorney, call toll-free: 1-855-673-2372. q Continued from page one THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 eventually become involved in a dangerous war of sorcery. (2004, 119 minutes) Kiki’s Delivery Service April 14, 7:00pm & April 15, 2:00pm Kiki’s Delivery Service follows a resourceful young witch who uses her broom to create a delivery service, only to lose her gift of flight when her self-confidence wanes. (1989, 97 minutes) Castle in the Sky April 27, 7:00pm & April 28, 7:00pm Castle in the Sky, an adventure film, focuses on a young girl who falls from the heavens and into the arms of a boy. The two then join forces to search for a floating island in the sky. (1986, 124 minutes) My Neighbor Totoro April 28, 4:30pm & April 29, 2:00pm My Neighbor Totoro tells the tale of two young sisters who discover a magical world of spirits and other friendly creatures when they move into a new house near a vast forest. The film was heralded for its positive message and lack of villains and frightening images. (1988, 86 minutes) The Hollywood Theatre is located at 4122 N.E. Sandy Boulevard in Portland. To learn more, call (503) 281-4215 or visit <www.hollywood theatre.org>. 515 Washington Street Vancouver, Washington 360.695.3474 • Studio & One-Bedroom Apartments • Federal Rent Subsidies Available • No Buy-In or Application Fees • Affordable Rent includes all Utilities except telephone & cable television • Ideal urban location near shopping, bus lines, restaurants, and much more! Killingsworth Station Food Cart Pod Experience a collection of food carts featuring a variety of international flavors! Beer, wine & mimosas available 1 Siam Kitchen Authentic Thai cuisine Special-roasted Thai coffee and tea Curry dishes, Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, and more Vegetarian substitutions – tofu or seitan – available on all dishes Hash it Out Specialties: Corned-beef hash & Pulled-pork sandwiches “The Wrap” w “The Vegan” w “The Reuben” w and more Breakfast dishes served until 4:00pm Green City Smoothies Specialties: Healthy, plant-based smoothies, toast & oatmeal. All menu items feature locally sourced seasonal fruits and vegetables and nutritious superfoods. La Puerta Salvadorian cuisine Specialties: Pupusas, Tamales, Carne Asada, Fried Plantains Bark City BBQ Specialties: Banana pudding, milkshakes, Texas brisket Try our “Pitmaster’s Nap” – Beer-link smoked turkey, pulled pork & ribs, choice of 2 sides, and cornbread Rose City Slammin Sandwiches Specialties: Empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, Arroz con gandules (rice & beans) Euro Dish Traditional Polish cuisine Specialties: Pierogi, kielbasa, blintzes, stuffed cabbage rolls, and more Tehuana Mexican Oaxican cuisine Featuring Mole Enchiladas, Tacos, Burritos & more Best new Mexican Burrito/Taco Food Cart in Portland (Willamette Week, 2016) 1331 N. Killingsworth Street, Portland (1 block east of N. Interstate Avenue)