Japan Society Announces January Monthly Anime & Classics Screenings

New York, December 2022—Japan Society is pleased to announce two new premieres as part of its January Monthly Anime and Classics lineups: the World theatrical premiere of a new 4K restoration of Tomu Uchida's celebrated masterpiece A Fugitive From The Past—heralded as one of the greatest Japanese films of all time and to be introduced by John David Baldwin, a contributor to the film's recent Arrow Blu-ray release; and the East Coast premiere of a new 4K remaster of Indo-Japanese co-production Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, a stunningly animated adaptation of the Sanskrit epic featuring contributions from Studio Ghibli talent.

Tickets: $15/$12 students and seniors /$5 Japan Society members.

Lineup and other details are subject to change. For complete information visit japansociety.org.

FILM DESCRIPTIONS

A Fugitive from the Past
『飢餓海峡』
Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00 PM
Dir. Tomu Uchida, 1965, 183 min., DCP, b&w, in Japanese with English Subtitles. With Rentaro Mikuni, Sachiko Hidari, Koji Mitsui.

Introduced by John David Baldwin, creator of blog The International Uchida Tomu Appreciation Society and contributor to Arrow Video's Blu-ray release of A Fugitive from the Past.

World Theatrical Premiere of 4K Restoration. Considered the magnum opus of the five- decade-long career of Tomu Uchida (Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji, The Mad Fox), the epic crime drama A Fugitive from the Past was voted third in the prestigious Kinema Junpo magazine's 1999 poll of the Top Japanese Films of the 20th Century. In 1947, a freak typhoon sinks a passenger ferry running between Hokkaido and mainland Japan, with hundreds of lives lost. During the chaos, three men are witnessed fleeing a burning pawnshop in the Hokkaido port town of Iwanai. The police suspect theft and arson, and when Detective Yumisaka (Junzaburo Ban) discovers the burned remains of a boat and the corpses of two men, he sets about tracking the shadowy third figure. Meanwhile, the mysterious Takichi Inukai (Rentaro Mikuni) takes shelter with a prostitute, Yae (Sachiko Hidari), a brief encounter that will come to define both of their lives. A decade later, long after the trail has gone cold, Yumisaka is called back by his successor, Detective Ajimura (Ken Takakura), as two new bodies are found. (Arrow Films)

Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama
『ラーマーヤナ ラーマ王子伝説』
Friday, January 20, 2023 at 7:00 PM
Dir. Ram Mohan, Yugo Sako, Koichi Sasaki, 1992, 135 min., DCP, Color, in English and Sanskrit. With Nikhil Kapoor, Raell Padmasee, Uday Mathan.
East Coast Premiere of 4K Remaster. A rarely screened Indo-Japanese anime co-production, Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama took nearly a decade to complete. A collaboration between producer Koichi Sasaki, animation legend Ram Mohan, and director Yugo Sako, Ramayana adapts the Sanskrit epic into a beautifully realized animated gem, featuring hand- drawn cel animation from Studio Ghibli. In Ayodhya, the royal palace of the Kosala Kingdom in ancient India, four princes were born to three queens. Banished from the palace for 14 years due to court intrigue, Prince Rama retreats to the forest with his beautiful wife Sita. After Rama vanquishes the demons of the forest, he invites the wrath of the demon king Ravana, and Sita is kidnapped—culminating in a climactic battle that will decide the fate of the kingdom.

Japan Society Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, Masako H. Shinn, David Toberisky, Akiko Koide and Shohei Koide, Geoff and Fumi Matters, Laurel Gonsalves, David S. Howe, and Masu Hiroshi Masuyama. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the exclusive Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film.

About Japan Society
Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (絆)–forging deep connections to bind people together. We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. In over 100 years of work, we've inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S. We strive to convene important conversations on topics that bind our two countries together, champion the next generation of innovative creators, promote mutual understanding, and serve as a trusted guide for people everywhere who seek to more fully appreciate the rich complexities and abundance of Japan. From our New York headquarters, a landmark building designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura that opened to the public in 1971, we look forward to the years ahead, which will be defined by our digital and ideational impact through the kizuna that we build. Our future can only be enhanced by learning from our peers and engaging with our audiences, both near and afar.