Yasukuni

“Visuals are breathtaking, but so is the loss of emotional control on display, by what are otherwise, probably, very rational people.”
-Variety

2008, 123 min., format TBD. Directed by Li Ying.  NY Premiere.

Winner of the Hong Kong Film Festival.

For the history of the film and more about director Li Ying and his films, visit the article “Unofficial History” by Olaf Moller in the July/August issue of Film Comment.

Thousands of people pour into Yasukuni Shrine each year on August 15, where the war dead, including WW II war criminals, are enshrined. In this documentary shot over the course of 10 years, director Li Ying tirelessly chronicles those who visit the Shrine from various backgrounds and perspectives–patriotic veterans, extreme nationalists and angry protesters from China and Korea. Ying, born in China and based in Japan, dares to tackle this controversial subject as he interviews a man who made holy Yasukuni swords during WW II. The film juxtaposes the man’s hesitancy to speak about Yasukuni with the chaos and rage that mount at the Shrine every year. Many theaters in Japan canceled the initial engagements of this film, causing a huge controversy on self-censorship through fear of right-wing interventions.

TICKETS:
$11 general / $7 Japan Society members & seniors.
To purchase tickets online, please click "Buy Tickets" above or call the Box Office at (212) 715-1258, Mon. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Weekends 11 am – 5 pm.

Part of JAPAN CUTS – Festival of New Japanese Film.
Co-presented with the New York Asian Film Festival.