April 12th - 14th
This April, the Art of the Benshi 2024 World Tour offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience the mesmerizing artistry of three of Japan’s celebrated benshi—“movie orators”—who, since the days of Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope, have been breathing life into silent film. Joined by an ensemble of musicians from Japan, these masters of their art will transport viewers back to the golden age of silent film, when every movie screening was also a live performance.
This program is copresented with the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities and the UCLA Film & Television Archive. All film descriptions courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
