The Art of the Benshi, A Performance by Ichiro Kataoka

When
10 Mar 2017
7:00 PM
Location
Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

The Art of the Benshi, A Performance by Ichiro Kataoka

Friday, March 10, 2017 at 7pm

Harvard Film Archive

24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

In the 1920s and early 1930s, Japanese filmgoers were often treated not only to a movie, but also to the electrifying art of a benshi. Katsudo benshi, or simply benshi, accompanied screenings with highly expressive performances that included narrating both the story and the characters’ dialogue, often giving their own outrageous twists and interpretations to the action unfolding on the screen.

The Harvard Film Archive is thrilled to welcome back the renowned benshi Ichiro Kataoka for an evening of captivating live interpretations of silent films. For this program they have selected Shoes, a remarkably frank and progressive feminist film by the great Lois Weber, one of the most prolific and high-ranking directors of the silent era. One of Universal's biggest box office successes of 1916, Shoes was rapturously received by contemporary Japanese audiences.

Special event, tickets are $12
Tickets go on sale 45 minutes prior to show time. The HFA does not do advance ticket sales.

THE JAPAN SOCIETY OF BOSTON