“We’re wanting Asian studies to really take root in Idaho” explains Jeff Kyong-McClain, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Habib Institute for Asian Studies at the University of Idaho, to a crowd of movie goers before the film “Tumbbad” on Tuesday night.
This show was a part of the AsiaPOP! Program put on by the Habib Institute which is a multiday event that includes an art show, lectures and free movies open to the community based on different aspects of Asian culture and this year’s theme is horror.
To teach people about horror in East Asia, the first event was one of three free movies being shown on Tuesdays at seven in the Kenworthy Theater, “Tumbbad.” This film is an Indian folk horror that Russell Meeuf, Director of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho, expressed during the pre-show introduction “[is] A film about Indian history and thinking about how his [Sohum’s] story is kind of crafted upon the history of India as it comes towards country hood and independence in 1947”. The movie uses Indian culture, traditions, and myths to create a haunting narrative about greed to thrill its audience.
Upcoming films include:
“Ring (1998)” on Sept. 1
This is the original Japanese version that inspired the American movie “The Ring (2002)”, come to the show and experience the horror that created one of the most haunting figures in recent memory.
“Zombie for Sale” on Sept. 8
A Korean comedy parodying the zombie genre about a cabbage loving zombie discovered by a family and used to make a profit; it is the most lighthearted film in the line-up.
Another event is the art exhibit in the Idaho Student Union Building (ISUB) on the University of Idaho campus in the reflections gallery that is currently open until Sept. 11. The main gallery is “Echos in Black” by artist Jung Min who gave a talk about her work on Aug. 26. All of the work in her show contains hair in a way that is reminiscent of horror movies she enjoys to watch, “[horror] is the only genre in Korea that I found that Korean female character has the most power” Min stated during her talk. The gallery is meant to display Min’s reflections on beauty, horror and cultural tensions around feminism in Korea. Along with this gallery there are exhibits about Chinese and Japanese culture and how horror differs between them.
More upcoming talks and events that are include:
Asian Studies Library Open House on Sept. 3
There will be snacks, music, games and manga in the Administration Building room 204 from 2 – 4 p.m.
“Exorcising Hopping Zombies, Ghost, and Fox Demons in Chinese Cinema” on Sept. 9
Hosted by Gloria (I-Ling) Chien, Associate Professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University at 12:30 p.m. in the Clearwater Room, ISUB.
“A Brief History of Yokai” on Sept. 9
Hosted by Zack Davisson, who is an author, translator and lecturer at 2:30 p.m. in the Clearwater Room, ISUB.
“The Uncanny Case of Pulgasari (1985): North Korea’s Only Monster Film” on Sept. 10
Hosted by Dong Hoon Kim, Associate Professor of Cinema Studies at the University of Oregon at 2 p.m. in the Clearwater Room, ISUB.
“Tackling Dark Themes in Video Games and Anime through Performance with Paul Castro Jr.” on Sept. 10
Hosted by Paul Castro Jr. who is a producer, director and actor who has dubbed for many anime including the voice of Indou Hikaru in “The Summer Hikaru Died” at 4 p.m. in the Vandal Ballroom, Pitman Center with a meet and greet following the talk.
McKinley Forth can be reached at [email protected].