Past Events
 
   
27 September 2008 (Sat)

Event: “An Overview of Japanese Silent Film...”,

Thanks to everyone, the night was a success!

The event hosted by Digital Meme and NPO Heart Connections drew a large audience.
This screening came out of an idea by Heart Connections, which supports Asian exchange students, that wanted foreign people in Japan to experience seeing old Japanese silent films with live benshi narration.  
We screened movies with English, Chinese, and Korean subtitles and had Raiko Sakamoto as our benshi performer for the night.
It was delightful to see so many foreign residents among the audience.

We would like to do more of these screenings in the near future and we welcome you to join us next time.

Photos of  the event

Coverage of the event in the media
   
27 September 2008 (Sat)

Event name: : “An Overview of Japanese Silent Film Spanning the Range from Manga to Chambara Swordfighting.”

Kuro Nyago: The Black Cat (1929)
Producer, Director, Drawings: Noburo Ofuji

Issun-boshi: Chibisuke Monogatari (1929)
Featuring live benshi performance by Raiko Sakamoto

Norakuro Gocho: Corporal Norakuro (1934)
Director and drawings: Yasuji Murata
Featuring live benshi performance by Raiko Sakamoto

Yaji Kita: Yasu Does Rescue (1927)
Director: Tomiyasu Ikeda
Starring: Denjiro Okochi
Featuring live benshi performance by Raiko Sakamoto

Ono ga Tsumi Sakubei: Your Sin Sakubei’s Story (1930)
Director: Sasaki Keisuke
Starring: Masao Inoue
Featuring recorded benshi performance by Shunsui Matsuda

Koina no Ginpei Yuki no Wataridori: Koi no Gimpei Migratory Snowbird (1931)
Director: Tomikazu Miyata
Starring: Tsumasaburo Bando
Featuring live benshi performance by Raiko Sakamoto

Place: Akasaka Civic Center
(along Route 246, between Akasaka-Mitsuke Station and Aoyama 1-chome Station)

Tickets: 1000 yen

   
26 May 2008 (Mon)

Event name: Friends of Silent Film Association 598th Screening "Period films starring Bando Tsumasaburo, Arashi Kanjuro, and Kataoka Chiezo!"

Otokodate Bayari (1931)
Directed by: Hiroshi Inagaki
Starring: Chiezo Kataoka, Joji Kaieda, Junko Kinugasa

Ranto no Chimata (1926)
Directed by: Norikuni Yasuda
Starring: Tsumasaburo Bando, Shizuko Mori, Kichimatsu Nakamura

The Best of Kanjuro Arashi (1983)
Edited by Matsuda Film Productions
*Katsuben Talkie version by Shunsui Matsuda*

Benshi: Midori Sawato (Otokodate Bayari), Ichiro Kataoka (Ranto no Chimata)

Place: Monnaka Tenjo Hall
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/%7Emonten/
(A three-minute walk from Monzennakacho Station (Exit 3) on the Tozai Subway Line, or a one-minute walk from Monzennakacho Station (Exit 6) on the Oedo Subway Line.)

   
1 June 2008

Event name: Silent film screening with Katuben for children and parents - We watch movies with Katuben! Part 3

Dotabata Satsueijo
Details are unknown, a slapstick comedy

Le Voyage Dans La Lune
(From the Earth to the Moon)
1902
Directed and Starring: Georges Melies

Sherlock Jr.
1924, U.S.A.
Directed an Starring: Buster Keaton
Co-starring: Kathryn McGuire

Benshi: Midori Sawato

Place:
Star Hall, Mitaka City Arts Center
(take a fifteen-minute walk from the JR Mitaka Station, or catch a bus from Terminal 5 or 6 at the South Exit to Hachiman-mae Geijutsu Bunka Center stop, or from Terminal 7 to Hachiman-mae stop and one minute walk.)

   
19 June 2008

Event name: KATSUBEN in Gakushikaiza

The Mark of Zorro
1920, US
Directed by: Fred Niblo
Starring: Douglas Fairbanks, Noah Beery

Benshi: Sawato Midori
Music: Yanashita Mie (piano)
* Sawato Midori will give a talk about cinema.

Place: Room 320 (3F) of Gakushikaikan
(A thirty-second walk from Exit A9 of Jinbocho Subway Station.)

   
26 June 2008

Event name: 599th Friends of Silent Film Association Screening "Masterpieces of the world motion picture history - US films-"

Sunrise (1927, US)
Directed by: F.W. Murnau
Starring: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor

Cruel, Cruel love (1914, US)
Directed by: George Nichols
Starring: Charles Chaplin

The Pawnshop (1916, US)
Directed and starring: Charles Chaplin

Benshi: Sawato Midori (Sunrise), Sakurai Mami (Cruel, Cruel love and The Pawnshop)

Place: Monnaka Tenjo Hall
Tel: 03-3641-8275
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~monten/
(A three-minute walk from Monzennakacho Station (Exit 3) on the Tozai Subway Line, or a one-minute walk from Monzennakacho Station (Exit 6) on the Oedo Subway Line.)

   
Jan 18 2008

Event name: Katsuben in Gakushikaiza

Featured Films:
Camille
1921, U. S. A.
Directed by: Ray C Smallwood
Starring: Rudolph Valentino, Alla Nazimova

Benshi: Midori Sawato
Music: Takashi Niigaki (Piano), Makiko Suzuki (Flute)
* Midori Sawato will give a talk about cinema.

   
Jan 17 2008

Event name: 1st Koto Cinema Festival

Featured Film:
Takekurabe:
1955, Talkie film:
Original Story: Ichiyo Higuchi:
Directed by: Heinosuke Gosho:
Starring: Hibari Misora

   
Jan 17 2008

Event name: 1st Koto Cinema Festival

Featured Film:
Taki no Shiraito
1933
Original story: Kyoka Izumi
Directed by: Kenji Mizoguchi
Starring: Takako Irie, Tokihiko Okada
*Screening Katsuben Talkie Film by Shinsui Matsuda

   
Jan 13 2008

Event name: 1st Koto Cinema Festival

Featured Film:
Dekigokoro
1933
Directed by: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Takeshi Sakamoto, Den Obinata, Nobuko Fushimi

Benshi: Midori Sawato
Live Music: Colored Monotone

   
Jan 11 2008

Event name: YAMAGATA International Documentary Film Festival encore screening: Yamagata Beauty Series

Featured Films:
Ono ga Tsumi Sakubei
1930
Directed by: Tsunejiro Sasaki
Starring: Masao Inoue, Shizue Tatsuta
*Screening Katsuben Talkie Film by Shunsui Matsuda

Tokyo Koshinkyoku
1929
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
Sarring: Shizue Natsukawa, Isamu Kosugi, Reiji Ichiki
*Screening Katsuben Talkie Film by Midori Sawato

Kyoei ha Jigoku
1925
Directed and Script: Shizue Tatsuta, Kiyoshi Hasegawa
*Silent screening (benshi narration not included)

   
Jan 11 2008

Event name: Enjoy Cinema with Katsuben and Live Music

Featured Film:
Umaretewa Mitakeredo
1932
Directed by: Yasujiro Ozu
Starring: Tatsuo Saito, Mitsuko Yoshikawa, Hideo Sugawara, Tokkan Kozo

Benshi: Midori Sawato
Live Music: Colored Monotone

   
6 Jan 2008

Event name: Kinema Collaboration Vol.7

Featured Film:
7th Heaven
1927, U.S. A.
Directed by: Frank Borzage
Starring: Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Albert Gran

Benshi: Yuko Saito
Music composition and piano: Harumi Misawa

   
5 Jan 2008

Event name: New Year Cinema in Machida

Featured Films:
The Cure
1917, U.S. A.
Directed and starring: Charles Chaplin

The Mask of Zorro
1920, U. S. A.
Directed by: Fred Niblo
Starring: Douglas Fairbanks, Noah Beery

Benshi: Yuko Saito
Music composition and piano: Harumi Misawa

   

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