All posts by Yayoi Lena Winfrey »
Takeshi Kitano’s “Outrage” Profiles the Yakuza
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
Read More »The Epic Tale of a Powerful Family is Revealed in “Empire of Silver”
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
Read More »A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
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
Read More »Eating Chinese Food Around the World
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
Read More »Lenore Chinn: Cultural Confluence
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
Read More »For Film Nuts: Chop-Socky Goes Cerebral
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
Read More »An International Talent Shines in Any Language
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
Read More »Young Adult Books Explore Sexual Identity Like Never Before
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,
Read More »The Popular Novel “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan”
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
Read More »A Controversial Film Unflinchingly Portrays the “City of Life and Death”
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.
Read More »
