War, unfortunately, never seems to be in short supply; and, lately, movies about war have also been plentiful. One of the most prolific is the 68-minute documentary “Kash: The Legend and Legacy of Shiro Kashino.” In it, filmmaker Vincent Matsudaira profiles men who served in the 100th Battalion 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War [...]
Post colonialism, ethnic partition, racial strife and religious fundamentalism are all heavy issues examined in movies featured at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle. Perhaps it’s because kids tend to be innocent of prejudice, a learned behavior, that they seem to handle differences more gracefully than adults; or, at least in they do in these films. [...]
Like a lot of married couples, Locho and Yama both work outside the home while rearing a child. But unlike most married couples, their work is literally outside — in the sprawling grasslands of Dzachukha, 15,000 feet above sea level in eastern Tibet. The area is nicknamed “5 most” by the Chinese because it’s the [...]
The western idiom that “there is no honor among thieves”* crosses cultures to infiltrate this English-subtitled Japanese film about modern-day “yakuza.” Although they’re supposed to live by a code of honor, the professional gangsters in this movie turn out to be as dishonorable as any run of the mill mobster. Director Takeshi Kitano (aka [...]
Despite its detailed coverage of a tumultuous China at the turn of the century, “Empire of Silver” is really a love story. While epic events like the Boxer Rebellion unfolded during the last days of the Qing Dynasty, this film’s focus is about boy meeting girl, boy falling in love with girl; then, boy having [...]
Anyone who’s watched a “Harold & Kumar” movie knows the two dope-smoking characters are not model minorities. But in real life, Kal Penn (Kumar) is a former White House staffer and John Cho (Harold), a father. And, both have brains as corroborated by our interview below. Q: Kal, as the breakthrough actor for Indian [...]
For the uninformed diner, ordering Chinese food might mean requesting chow mein or fried rice—and asking to hold the MSG. But that would be so limiting, when “authentic” Chinese cuisine consists of many diverse dishes containing a variety of ingredients that vary from region to region. Further, the restaurants serving those meals might be located [...]
Looking at a Lenore Chinn painting is like spying on a stranger through a peephole. While her subjects have nothing to hide, their visible preoccupation with personal thoughts seems almost too intimate for the observer. That Chinn is able to capture such ephemeral expressions reveals the precision of her paintings. In “Bok Kai Temple,” a [...]
Martial arts releases in the U.S. have come a long way since Bruce Lee first graced our silver screens in the early 1970’s. Back then, Hong Kong-made action movies were mostly about tournaments involving opposing schools that touted differing fighting styles. Inevitably, the good guys prevailed over the bad guys who always tried to cheat [...]
His English is impeccable, his French is impressive, and his Hebrew will blow you away, but Togo Igawa was born in Shinjuku, Tokyo and grew up speaking Japanese. As an international star, Igawa has acted in Hollywood studio films like “Memoirs of a Geisha”, “The Last Samurai”, “Eyes Wide Shut”, “Revolver” and “Sunshine”. However, he [...]
Navigating one’s teen years is challenging, especially when it’s important to feel a sense of belonging. When being different is part of a tumultuous adolescence, it’s even worse for young adults who are multi-ethnic, trans-racially adopted, cross-cultured or have interracial relationships, or identify as bisexual, gay or trans-gendered. Standing out is inevitable — at a [...]
A spin-off from the sci-fi anime television series, “Trigun: Badlands Rumble” reintroduces its primary characters against a landscape that appears to be the American West in outer space. Based on the original story line created by Naito Yasuhiro, this English subtitled adaptation features a menacing, muscular man with the unlikely name of Gasback — pronounced [...]
A series of postcards, bearing messages scrawled in bad handwriting, introduces the unfolding horror of 1937 Nanking, China. Japanese soldiers there have overtaken the capital city and no escape remains for its Chinese residents. Unfortunately, the postcards (written in English) flash by too quickly to be read clearly although the carnage that follows needs no [...]
Apart Together In 1949 war-torn Shanghai, a couple is forced apart when a Nationalist soldier escapes to Taiwan leaving behind his pregnant girlfriend. In 1987, the elderly former soldier returns for her. Ignoring the fact that his ex-lover already has a mate (a former Communist soldier), several adult children (including the Nationalist’s son) and grandchildren, [...]
Only 17 years-old, “Dilawar” is growing up way too fast. Living in India-occupied Kashmir, he’s on the verge of becoming a bad boy until he gets thrown into jail for doing something stupid. Realizing that he’s on the road to self-destruction, he tries to straighten up — but righteousness seems to elude him.
With so many films currently in the mix, there’s good reason to get your flicks fix on. Right now, a slew of features by and about Asians and APA’s are in release. The “Green Hornet”, which opened wide January 14, stars cutie-hottie Jay Chou (“Curse of the Golden Dragon”) in the role Bruce Lee made [...]
Arguably, the most mixed-up, multicultural movie ever filmed, “The Warrior’s Way” combines a Korean heartthrob hero, an African American dwarf, several crusty Caucasian cowboys, some meek Mexicans and a slew of faceless fighters. All of these comic book-like characters come together in a frontier town inhabited by colorful circus performers who are periodically terrorized by renegade confederate soldiers.
“TIBET IN SONG” It’s hard to ignore the missing name in the space for Tibetan Location Manager during the onscreen credit roll at the end of “Tibet in Song”. By listing it as “Anonymous”, the producers clearly demonstrate a need to hide it — adding a sinister tone to their already controversial project. Paradoxically, the [...]
“1428” On May 12, 2008, at 14:28, the Great Sichuan Earthquake shook southwestern China leaving 68,000 people dead. Ten days later, as dreary dust settled everywhere, Du Haibin aimed his camera at some villagers. He did it again 210 days later, and the result is a stunning visual journey through the aftermath of tragedy. Trailing [...]
Growing old can be terrifying if you’re unprepared for its physical challenges. And, if English is your second language, hearing loss can severely compound that experience. Because my immigrant mother’s English is limited, she’s always missed out on American societal nuances. Now, that she’s older and losing her hearing, she disregards anything she doesn’t immediately [...]
It’s Saturday night at the Neighbors nightclub on Broadway in Seattle, and I haven’t seen this much glitter since David Bowie and his Spiders from Mars escaped their webs. All around me are gorgeous girls so glamorous they make me feel like I don’t have on enough make-up. I’m at the 2010 Mr. and Miss [...]
A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop Based on the Coen Brothers’ 1984 classic, “Blood Simple”, this Chinese version about infidelity, murder and miscommunication is a remake by renowned filmmaker Zhang Yimou (“Raise the Red Lantern”, “Hero”). As always, Zhang demonstrates his advocacy for women’s independence by imbuing his two female characters with slightly [...]
Migrating to America as a child left Pei Ju Chou feeling like she existed between two generations—the first and second. So, she began referring to herself as being “1.5th generation”. Recently, the University of Washington student produced a documentary about her experience as a part of the 1.5 generation titled “Stuck on the Boat”. (You [...]
There’s a popular term known as “a happy accident”, although a press screening gone awry hardly seems the setting for one. Several days ago as the lights dimmed and a reel began to un-spool, voices speaking Japanese along with English subtitles appeared onscreen. That shouldn’t have seemed strange except that the animated characters in the [...]
Bruce Beresford’s presentation of “Mao’s Last Dancer” appears to be all black and white, or perhaps the director wanted to tell a complicated story in a simplistic way. In any case, Beresford ends up with a good film that could have been a great film had he allowed a little more gray to seep through [...]
Drop by the Takamura’s South Hill Renton home for dinner, and you’ll enjoy an epicurean feast of homegrown organic vegetables. For over 30 years, Frieda Takamura has been gardening the green way. Currently, her front yard is the site of a 16 by 16 foot plot. “We put the garden in the front yard,” she [...]
When Yun-Sook Kim Navarre learned about a protest against “The Last Airbender”, she grabbed two picket signs, her six-year old daughter, and headed to the ArcLight Theater in Hollywood. There, she marched alongside UCLA students, followers of Racebending.com, and members of Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), Korean Resource Center (KRC), and National Korean [...]
Recently, about 50 people crowded the dining room of The American Hotel hostel, located in the Chinatown/International District on 6th and King Street, eager to hear two travelers discuss their backpacking adventures. Among the trekkers’ worldly destinations were India, Kenya and Vietnam. But instead of booking fancy hotels with swimming pools, the pair stayed at [...]
