KinoSaito's Free Summer Japanese Film Series Coming Soon In Verplanck

VERPLANCK, NY — There might not be any better time and place than summer in the Hudson Valley — there are even opportunities to spend an evening exploring faraway places.

KinoSaito presents a free Summer 2024 Japanese Film Series on Fridays, June 14, July 26, and August 30, starting at 6 p.m. The free lecture, screening, and discussion program will focus on three contemporary Japanese features: Tokyo Drifter (1966), Tampopo (1985), and Paprika (2006).

The series will be held at KinoSaito’s St. Patrick’s School at 115 7th Street, in Verplanck. Snacks and beverages will be served free-of-charge.

The first film to be screened, on June 14, is Seijun Suzuki’s gangster film, Tokyo Drifter (82 minutes). In this jazzy crime/action film, reformed assassin Tetsu tries to leave his gang days behind, but his desire to change course doesn't go according to plan. Tetsu finds himself being hunted down by a rival gang through the countryside, in this stylized violence and trippy film that highlights the over the topness of Japanese cinema in the sixties. Prior to the screening, guest speaker Dr. Joel Neville Anderson, Professor of Cinema Studies and Film at Purchase College, will present an introduction and lead a post-screening discussion.

On July 26, Tampopo (60 minutes) by Juzo Itami will be screened. It is a film about a truck driver, Goro, and his sidekick, Gun, stopping at a roadside ramen shop where they decide to help Tampopo improve the quality of her ramen and better her emerging business. It is a comedy about an eccentric band of culinary ronin guiding the widow of a ramen shop owner to find the perfect recipe. This film will also be introduced by Dr. Anderson followed by a post-screening discussion.

Paprika (90 minutes), directed by Satoshi Kon, which will be screened on August 30, is an animated, sci-fi thriller about scientist, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, who works with a team that has created a device called the 'DC Mini' to help psychiatric patients by allowing people to view and enter dreams. A prototype of the device becomes stolen and is placed in the wrong hands which forces Dr. Atsuko to take her dream self, Paprika, and act as a detective to retrieve the machine back and save humanity. Prior to this screening, guest speaker Hiromi Tsuchiya Dollase, Associate Professor of Japanese at Vassar College, will present an introduction and lead a post-screening discussion.

Each film that is being presented as part of KinoSaito’s Summer 2024 Japanese Film Series will be introduced by an expert in film history with a facilitated Q&A discussion to follow.

All presentations are free, but due to limited seating, require advanced registrations. To RSVP for each film program, visit the website. For more information, contact KinoSaito Gallery Director Michael Barraco at this email address.

About KinoSaito

KinoSaito is a nonprofit center founded in 2018 and dedicated to the creation of abstract art. They are committed to nurturing art experimentation across all mediums and perpetuating the legacy of their founding muse and Japanese-American artist, Kikuo Saito (1939-2016). The center opened in 2021 upon renovation of its St. Patrick’s Catholic School located in Verplanck, NY. Since opening their doors, they have served an intergenerational audience of 3,500 annually.

KinoSaito Programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.