Classic 35mm Treasures - Japanese film screenings

austin@austinfilm.org

Visit Austin Film Society: http://www.austinfilm.org/essentialcinema

1) THE SWORD OF DOOM (DAI-BOSATSU TÔGE)
Wednesday May 1, 7 PM

A sociopathic samurai betrays too many people and finds himself pursued by his former associates, a band of assassins.

2) TOKYO STORY (TOKYO MONOGATARI)
Tuesday, May 21, 7 PM

In postwar Japan, an elderly couple from a rural area visit their urbanized children and grandchildren, but realize that they are now too old to matter.

3) THE MAKIOKA SISTERS (SASAME-YUKI)
Tuesday, May 28, 7 PM

A sumptuous film depicting the pre-war lives of four sisters from a wealthy Osaka family. More info & tickets>>

When: May 21st, 2013 7:00 AM through May 28th, 2013 8:30 PM Where: 6406 N I H 35 # 3100 THE MARCHESA HALL & THEATRE Austin, TX 78752 United States

Enchanting Modernity: Religion and the Supernatural in Contemporary Japanese Popular (Pop) Culture

jasga-events1@jasga.org

The JASGA June 2013 cultural program will present Religion and the Supernatural in Contemporary Japanese Popular (Pop) Culture by Chis Feldman, an adjunct professor of Global History at St. Edward's University.

About Presentation:

Popular culture not only reveals the way that many Japanese think about religion and the supernatural, it also performs an important function in preserving those ideas and images. Many stories of the supernatural depict characters who are called upon to heal the split between between the material and the spiritual realms, and between tradition and modernity. The heroes of these stories often embody this split in themselves by being part human and part yokai (demon). Against opponents who demand the abandoning of the past in order to move into a fully modern future, the protagonists call for a solution in which the split between a mythological past and a technological present is healed. By moving forward into the future while retaining the spiritual heart of "Japaneseness," they struggle to bridge the worlds of tradition and modernity.

The conjunction of religion and popular culture is a powerful one, and raises fascinating questions about today's Japanese culture. How are supernatural characters depicted in anime and manga, and what messages about the benefits and dangers of religion are being encoded in them? How are these stories used to convey ideas about what it means to be Japanese? What benefits do the consumers of anime and manga gain from including supernatural themes in these stories, and what is the benefit to society as a whole? These are some of the questions addressed in this multimedia presentation.

About Chis Feldman:

R. Christopher Feldman has a B.A. in Religious Studies and an M.A. in Asian Cultures and Languages with a Graduate Portfolio in Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His MA Thesis was on "Religion and the Supernatural in Contemporary Japanese Popular Culture." Chris has been lecturing and leading seminars on religion and esotericism in the modern era for more than a dozen years.

He is currently teaching Global History at St. Edward's University.

When: June 3rd, 2013 7:00 PM through 08:30 PM Where: 1701 Toomey Rd Casa de Luz, Cielo Room South (2F) Austin, TX 78704 United States

CiviEvent Public Calendar

Classic 35mm Treasures - Japanese film screenings

Enchanting Modernity: Religion and the Supernatural in Contemporary Japanese Popular (Pop) Culture