Free Japanese Film Showings Scheduled At NHS

By Eliza Hallabeck

A few weeks ago, Newtown High School junior Eric Song had an idea.

In just a few days his idea had come together with the help of the Newtown International Center for Education’s (NICE) Japan Project Team: a Japanese film series, scheduled to span multiple dates, will be shown at NHS for the community.

Eric said he knew he wanted to help expand cultural awareness, so he consulted his father, Allan Song, who Eric said is more of an expert on Japanese cinema. Mr Song gave Eric a list of films “that he deemed the best in documenting the history of Japan.”

Eric said his father was born in Korea and eventually lived in Japan, where he took in a lot of the culture.

After speaking to his father, Eric then approached the Japan Project Team, and the Japanese Film Festival came together.

The first showing is scheduled for Thursday, December 15, at 6:30 pm and will Seven Samurai.

Twenty-Four Eyes will show on Thursday, January 5, Stray Dog on Thursday, January 26, High and Low on Thursday, February 16, It Sure Is Hard Being A Man, on Thursday, March 22, and My Neighbor Totoro is scheduled to be shown Thursday, April 12.

Each viewing will be offered to the community for free, and each session will begin at 6:30 pm with an introduction by Eric in the high school’s lecture hall, according to a flyer for the event.

While the showings will be free, Japan Project Team Members Elizabeth Ward and Amy Repay said donations to benefit the cultural program are welcome.

A flyer for the program is available with this story online at www.newtownbee.com.

Eric also got involved with the Japan Project Team when he applied and was accepted as one of three students in the country to attend an international forum in Kyoto in February, when he will represent Newtown High School as a student. Ms Repay and other teachers from the school will also attend the forum. Ms Repay and Ms Ward said NHS was the one high school from the United States that was invited to attend the forum.

“The NICE team hopes to plan a lot of events for the community and involving the community,” said Ms Ward, “so if community members have any questions they are welcome to visit the website.”

The NICE website is located off the district’s main website, www.newtown.k12.ct.us. Scroll down on the page and click on the “NICE” box.

Ms Repay and Ms Ward also said any students interested in becoming involved with the NICE initiative can find information on the website.

Future information to look for on the website includes the Japan Project Team starting a Japan Club. News about the club will also be posted on the school’s blog and around the school.

As one of two schools nationwide that the Japan Society is sponsoring, NHS students and teachers are also invited to a New Year’s celebration in New York City scheduled for January 29. Drums, dancing, calligraphy, and more entertainment will be available during the event, according to Ms Repay and Ms Ward. For the event, 25 NHS students can sign up in the main office to attend and be paired up with a student from Keio Academy in New York for the day.