The CMRS film series has returned! This semester, we're focusing on films about medieval Japan to align with the current course on Medieval Kyoto (MedRen 3211).
Movies are at 7:00 pm on Wednesday nights in 180 Hagerty Hall, followed by a brief talk and Q+A. Pizza and refreshments will be served. These screenings are free and are open to all. This semester's schedule includes:
August 27 - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
September 17 - Onmyōji (The Yin Yang Master) (2001)
October 22 - Rashōmon (1950)
November 19 - Battle League Horumō (2009)
In this month's movie, a group of Kyoto University students known as the “Kyoto University Azure Dragons” participate in a game called "Horumō,” an ancient game invented over 1,200 years ago in the Heian Period. In the game, players control shikigami or "servant spirits" called oni and pit them against the oni of rival teams, reminiscent of Pokémon. The heat rises as you see the 2,000 oni spirits wage fierce battles against the backdrop of the breathtaking beautiful city of Kyoto. Let the battles begin!
The course on medieval Kyoto specifically focuses on the city’s medieval period, from its founding in 794 to the late 16th century. This was a period in which Kyoto’s cultural identity emerged, and, in view of Kyoto as the site of national authority during this duration, the broader Japanese cultural identity. Studying this timespan in the life of Kyoto lets us follow transformations in the lived environments of the city as it moves from imperial to shōgun military rule.
Find more information on each movie in the series on their individual listing on our event calendar. Questions? Email cmrs@osu.edu with any questions.
Hosted by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and the Humanities Institute.
