Programs and Events

Detroit Film Theatre
AN EVENING WITH SHINICHIRO WATANABE

Wednesday, February 08, 2006 7:00 PM

Special Event
The critically acclaimed animation (anime) director Shinichiro Watanabe will make a very special appearance at the Detroit Film Theatre, sponsored by the Japan Foundation in cooperation with the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit, the Japan America Society and the DIA Friends of Asian Art. Best known for his Cowboy Bebop television series (1998), which combined elements of traditional American westerns, 40's crime films and a classic jazz score, Mr. Watanabe will discuss the aesthetic and technical aspects of this work, and show clips from Animatrix (2003) and Samurai Champloo (2004). This newest series tells the story of a ronin samurai, a womanizing warrior and a teahouse waitress who band together to search for a "samurai who smells of sunflowers." Samurai Champloo harnesses the kinetic poetry of classic “chambara” sword epics, but is also wildly anachronistic with a musical score recorded by contemporary Japanese hip-hop artists. The evening will be a rare opportunity to meet one of the world's most innovative and important anime directors working today.

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