Join us for Pittsburgh’s only Asian documentary film event!

Four thought-provoking and entertaining films spanning the diverse realities, histories, and cultures of Asia, with opportunities for reflection and conversation. Each film will be followed by a moderated discussion.

 

Sunday, February 21, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
South Korea Unreeled: Good  for Her

In South Korea, plastic surgery has become so common that an estimated 30% of Korean women aged 20 to 50 have had surgical or nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in 2008. Through personal narration, nostalgic images of Korean beauty standards, contemporary news clips and direct interviews with teenagers and university professors, this film chronicles the intense pressures on Korean youth to undergo cosmetic surgery through the eyes of a Korean-American director, questioning the meaning of individual choice and assumptions about women, agency, and power.

Sunday, February 28, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
Japan Unreeled: Wings of Defeat

What responsibility does a government at war have to its soldiers and its people? World War II kamikaze pilots are seen as a metaphor for fanatic devotion in the West and as the ultimate symbol of selfless sacrifice in the East, yet few people realize that many kamikaze pilots survived the war awaiting orders that never arrived. Through rare interviews with survivors in their eighties, we learn that the as the Japanese military refused to acknowledge defeat, pilots were ordered to volunteer to give up their lives, revealing a complex history of brutal training and ambivalent sacrifice.

Sunday, March 7, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
South Asia Unreeled: That’s Why I’m Working

In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, poor families must rely on the income generated by every member of the family, including the children, because any single life event from sickness or injury to marriage can alter the families’ fortunes in ways beyond their control. In Ebrahimpur 3, a school at the edge of an urban slum filled with children from flooded rural provinces, students tell their stories in a fashion that leaves little margin for manipulation. In the West, there is little room for viewing child labor as anything other than evil, but the children of Dhaka show the more complex reality faced in many countries.

RESCHEDULED: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
China Unreeled:  Please Vote for Me

An experiment in democracy is taking place in Wuhan, the most populous city in central China. For the first time, 3rd grade students have been asked to elect a class monitor, normally selected by their teacher.  Eight-year-olds compete against each other for the coveted position, abetted and egged on by teachers and doting parents.  It’s up to viewers to decide if the election experiment has been  “successful” and what it might mean for ideas of democracy in China. 

About the Series

Open to the public. All films are appropriate for ages 12 and up.
Location: Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Avenue, Shadyside.
Screenings will be held in the Hilda Willis Room, Upper School building.
Free parking is available in Winchester Thurston’s driveways and parking lots, or on the surrounding streets.

Directions on Google Maps

Inclement weather cancellation notices will be posted on the Winchester Thurston School Hotline at (412) 578-7534.

Suggested Admission
Advance Tickets and Discounts:
Pre-register online and receive a discount for the entire series
$28 for adults, $15 for students and seniors.

Click here to purchase advance tickets 

At the Door:
$8 per session for adults, $5 for students and seniors.
Cash only at the door.

Information: (412) 578-3731 or asiaunreeled@winchesterthurston.org