September Screenings at Japan Society

— — -Famed Illustrator Yoshitaka Amano to Appear at Rare Screening of Angel’s Egg — —

— — Empire of Passion Screening Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Nagisa Oshima’s Passing — —

[New York, NY]-Japan Society is excited to announce that acclaimed artist Yoshitaka Amano will make a rare appearance on September 10 at a special screening of Angel’s Egg, an artistic and experimental anime created as a collaboration between Yoshitaka Amano and director Mamoru Oshii ( Ghost in the Shell). Amano is internationally renowned by both high art and pop art audiences for his unique style, and he is beloved in the pop culture world for his work as an artist and character designer on beloved games, books, and anime including Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D and Gatchaman.

Released direct-to-home video in 1985, Angel’s Egg initially received a lukewarm reception due to its abstract nature and obscure storytelling. Having since grown in reputation, this notoriously hard-to-see OVA (Original Video Animation) is considered by many to be one of the most artistic Japanese animations ever produced, notable for its art direction and design, ambiguous symbolism, and equivocal themes. Constructing a sparse world in ruin and slumber, Amano and Oshii’s lyrical collaboration is a conceptual and visual triumph that remains as uniquely groundbreaking today as it did nearly 40 years ago. Following this rare screening, Amano will participate on-stage to reflect on the film in a Q&A. Japan Society will present this special event in partnership with LOMEX GALLERY (86 Walker Street), which will feature a new exhibition of Amano’s art titled Yoshitaka Amano — The Birth of Myth, opening September 9th from 6 to 8 pm.

Additionally in September, Japan Society will present a 35mm screening of Nagisa Oshima’s (1932–2013) autumnal kaidan (ghost story) Empire of Passion on September 8 to commemorate 10 years since the passing of the iconoclast director. A major figure of the Japanese new wave known for his daring and scathing critiques of postwar Japan, Oshima would win the Best Director Award at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival for Empire of Passion.

For more information visit the Japan Society website.

Posted in Tagged entertainment news entertainment news, movies

Originally published at https://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on August 28, 2023.