Spring 2015 Geddes Japanese Movie Series Schedule
Screenings Every Other Wednesday at 6:30pm
(All films with English subtitles)
CAS 537C, 685 Commonwealth Avenue
2/4 – Summer Wars サマー•ウォーズ (2009) 114 min.
This movie is not your typical adorable Japanese anime. Kenji Koiso, an 11th grade math genius, agrees to take a summer job in Nagano, the hometown of his crush, Natsuki. When he arrives, he finds that her family has reunited to celebrate the 90th birthday of the family matriarch. His job is to pretend to be Natsuki’s fiancé. Meanwhile, his attempt to solve a mathematical equation causes a parallel world’s collision with earth. Director: Hosoda, Mamoru
2/18 – Linda Linda Linda リンダリンダリンダ(2005) 114min.
The school festival is about to begin and Kyoko, Kei and Nozui are looking for a lead vocalist after their band breaks up. Kei recruits Son, a Korean exchange student who is still learning Japanese. The girls choose to perform three songs from The Blue Hearts, an 80s punk rock group. This movie features Bae Doona (Cloud Atlas) as Son. Director: Yamashita, Nobuhiro
3/4 – Norwegian Woods ノルウェイの森 (2010) 133 min.
Based on Haruki Murakami’s best selling book of the same title. Upon hearing the song “Norwegian Wood,” Toru remembers back to his life in the 1960s, when his friend Kizuki killed himself and he grew close to Naoko (played by Kikuchi Rinko of Babel), Kizuki’s girlfriend. As the two try, in very different ways, to contend with their grief, Toru forms a bond with another woman, Midori. Director: Tran Anh Hung
3/18 – Battle Royale バトル・ロワイヤル (2000) 114min.
42 students, 3 days, 1 deserted island: welcome to Battle Royale. A group of 9th grade students from a Japanese high school have been forced by legislation to compete in a Battle Royale. The students are each given a bag with a randomly selected weapon and a few rations of food and water and sent off to kill each other in a game to the death, which means that the students have 3 days to kill each other until one survives–or they all die. More brutal than Hunger Games. Direcor: Fukasaku, Kenji
4/1 – Kids Return キッズ・リターン(1996) 107min.
After dropping out of high school, two friends at first find success, one as an up-and-coming boxer and one as a low level gangster. Yet, their life decisions still find a way of catching up with them. This movie is regarded as one of the director Takeshi Kitano’s masterpieces without his signature violence.
Director: Kitano, Takeshi
4/15 – Ping Pong ピンポン (2010) 114 min.
“Peco” is a brash, arrogant player, determined to turn pro. He taught his quiet, nerdy childhood friend “Smile.” His coach and rivals recognize Smile’s talent for the game but to him it is just a game. Ironically, as Smile begins to develop his game, Peco undergoes a severe crisis after his defeat by rival players and is unable to play well until he rediscovers the original reasons why he plays ping-pong. This film features funky and impossible ping pong matches. Director: Sori, Fumihiko
Presented by the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, Boston University Center for the Study of Asia, the Geddes Language Center.
For further information, please contact hmiyagi@bu.edu (Hiromi Miyagi-Lusthaus)