Date: 2019 July 12 20:21
Posted by Joe
We've just heard from the The Japan Foundation London that they've teamed up with The British Library to present Summer Explorers! Manga Comes To Life - Live Action Japanese Films Based on Manga.
The Japan Foundation always have an interesting selection of films up their sleeves and this time is no different as they'll be showcasing live action films based off manga. Anime and manga fans may already be familiar with some of the titles here from their original manga or even an anime adaptation. They've got Inuyashiki a typical story about a retired salaryman given superpowers, along with lots of other films offering something slightly different.
Screenings are set to run on Saturday, 27 July and Sunday, 28 July 2019 at The British Library, Knowledge Centre Theatre.
Individual tickets are £8, while concessions are £6 and under 14s get in free. Day passes are £20 or £15 for concessions, while again under 14s are free. As always with events like this we suggest booking early to avoid disappointment.
Full Story
Press release as follows:
PRESS RELEASE
July 5, 2019
The Japan Foundation and the British Library present:
Summer Explorers!
Manga Comes To Life -
Live Action Japanese Films Based on Manga
The Japan Foundation's annual film season Summer Explorers! comes to the British Library
Saturday, 27 July & Sunday, 28 July 2019
Love Japanese films and passionate about manga?
Then the special summer film season, Summer Explorers 2019: Manga Comes To Life - Live Action Japanese Film Based on Manga will satisfy both of those tastes with a refreshing combination of the two.
Manga, or Japanese comic books, is an art medium which has enjoyed widespread popularity both at home in Japan, as well as globally abroad, for many decades now. A 4 billion dollar a year industry, manga does not just play a pivotal role in the publication media but it also provides a great source of inspiration to filmmakers and other creatives, due to its narrative nature which explores intricate storylines as well as animated characters. Action or love story, comedy or drama, manga is a mirror reflecting the realities and ideas of the Japanese society.
From over the top, offbeat narratives of psychic teenagers and upstart political wrangling in a high school environment, to spectacular battles between good and evil, and stories of tender friendships, this mini film programme aims to showcase some of the most recent and representative adaptations which have arrived on screen in the past few years, demonstrating plotlines that these illustrated publications have provided film creatives.
Presented and Curated by the Japan Foundation, in collaboration with the British Library.
About the Japan Foundation
The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and became an Independent Administrative Institution in 2003. The organisation promotes international cultural exchange between Japan and the rest of the world by organising projects as well as providing financial support through grant programmes in the fields of Arts and Culture, Japanese language and Japanese studies. The Japan Foundation currently has its Head Office in Tokyo, with offices and centres in over 20 countries outside of Japan. The Japan Foundation London is the Foundation's only office in the UK, and one of the first overseas offices to be established, opening in 1972. www.jpf.go.jp (Head Office), www.jpf.org.uk (London)
Programme:
Inuyashiki
いぬやしき
Dir. Shinsuke Sato, 2018, 127 min, English Subtitles
Retired salaryman Inuyashiki (Noritake Kinashi) has his life turned upside down when he is given a diagnosis of terminal cancer. After he is involved in an accident which bestows him with supernatural powers, will he use them for good or evil? Based on a manga from the author of GANTZ.
With introduction by Dr Rayna Denison of UEA on Saturday.
Screening on: Sat 27 July at 12:00pm and Sun 28 July at 4:40pm
Seto and Utsumi
セトウツミ
Dir. Tatsushi Ohmori, 2016, 75 min, English Subtitles
Despite having opposite personalities, high school students Utsumi (Sosuke Ikemastu) and Seto (Masaki Suda) are the best of friends, whiling away their days together and never running out of things to talk about. But when a girl (Ayami Nakajo) appears on the scene, will their friendship remain the same?
Screening on: Sat 27 July at 3:00pm
Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High
帝一の國
Dir. Akira Nagai, 2017, 118 min, English Subtitles
Bribery, sabotage, and scandals are the order of the day in the elite Kaitei High School where an upcoming election for the next class president provides the relentlessly ambitious Teiichi (Masaki Suda) with an arena for some underhanded scheming.
Screening on: Sat 27 July at 4:45pm and Sun 28 July at 12:00pm
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (a.k.a. Psychic Kusuo)
斉木楠雄のΨ難
Dir. Yuichi Fukuda, 2017, 97 min, English Subtitles
This adaptation of Shuichi Aso's mega-hit absurdist manga of the same title follows the life of Kusuo Saiki (Kento Yamazaki), a powerful psychic who hates attracting attention but who inexplicably finds himself resolving a variety of calamities caused by his classmates, with the use of his powers.
Screening on: Sun 28 July at 2:30pm
Listing information:
Title: Summer Explorers!
Manga Comes To Life - Live Action Japanese Films Based on Manga
Date: Saturday, 27 July & Sunday, 28 July 2019
Venue: The British Library, Knowledge Centre Theatre
Ticket booking: https://www.bl.uk/events/summer-explorers-2019-manga-comes-to-life
INDIVIDUAL FILM TICKETS: Full Price £8 | Concessions £6 | Under 14 free
DAY PASSES: Full Price £20 | Concessions £15 | Under 14 free