Korean movie Futureless Things (이것이 우리의 끝이다) in Oakland, July 14 and 16.

The 2014 Korean movie Futureless Things (이것이 우리의 끝이다) will in Oakland on July 14 and 16 as part of the 2015 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival.



A synopsis:

The trials and tribulations of a group of convenience store clerks over the course of a single day are emblematic of societal archetypes. These unforgettable characters toil away as they deal with love, drama, mystery, romance, unruly customers and even a little magic. The motley crew includes: a struggling actor, an English student, and a young girl trying to get over a romantic relationship with one of her coworkers. Set against a very specific cultural moment, one wonders: how much does an individual struggle with love, drama, or mystery actually matter when pitted against almighty commerce?

The July 14 screening is at 7:00 pm at the Melwood Screening Room (map). The 2015 festival runs from July 10 through July 18 at the Melwood Screening Room and the Regent Square Theater. Ticket information and the complete festival schedule are available at the festival's website.

"Storytime: Japanese and English" at Carnegie Library in East Liberty, July 21.

The Carnegie Library in East Liberty will host "Storytime: Japanese and English" on Tuesday, July 21.

Celebrate our city's diverse culture as we explore new words through songs, action rhymes and stories in both English and Japanese. For children ages 2-5 and their parents or caregivers.

The event runs from 11:00 to 11:30 am, and the library is located at 130 S. Whitfield Street (map).

"Teen Time: Attack on Titan Party" at Carnegie Library Lawrenceville, July 18.

The Lawrenceville branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host "Teen Time: Attack on Titan Party" on July 18. Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人) is a Japanese manga series, and one that has appeared in other media as well. From the library's event page:

Step out of the summer heat and into a world of cool Japanese culture! Create delicious candy sushi, construct Asian inspired crafts and compete with your friends at Attack on Titan trivia!

The event is intended for fans in grades 6 through 12. The Lawrenceville branch is located at 279 Fisk St. (map).

Thai film How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) in Oakland, July 12 and 18.

The 2015 Thai film How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) will play at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map) on July 12 and 18 as part of this year's Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival. A synopsis of the feature film debut of Josh Kim, via the official website:

In Thailand, all males turning 21 years old must participate in the annual military draft lottery. Drawing a black card grants exemption, while drawing red results in two years of military service.

On the morning of his draft lottery, Oat reflects back on his childhood -- when as a child, his older brother Ek faced the possibility of being drafted himself. Unable to convince Ek to do whatever he can to change his fate, young Oat takes matters into his own hands, resulting in unexpected circumstances.

Based on the short stories “At the Café Lovely” and “Draft Day” from the U.S. bestselling book Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap[.]

The July 12 screening is at 6:30 pm. The 2015 festival runs from July 10 through July 18 at the Melwood Screening Room and the Regent Square Theater. Ticket information and the complete festival schedule are available through the festival's website.

Vietnamese films Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere (Đập Cánh Giữa Không Trung) and Nuoc 2030 (Nước) at Silk Screen Festival, July 12.

The Vietnamese films Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere (Đập Cánh Giữa Không Trung) and Nuoc 2030 (Nước) will play in Pittsburgh on July 12 as part of the 2015 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival.

A synopsis of the former, which plays at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map) at 2:30 pm, from the Toronto International Film Festival:

Vietnamese director Nguyen Hoang Diep's feature debut Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere is a frank yet tender examination of what happens when youthful ambivalence is confronted with life-altering decisions. Tung's strategy for gathering cash for the abortion is to join in the illegal cockfights held outside the city in deserted locales. Huyen's method of fundraising is equally precarious: she accepts her sex-worker friend's offer to hook her up with a client who has a fetish for pregnant women. But this moneymaking technique will take her into surprising and bizarre psychological territory.

And a synopsis of Nuoc 2030, which plays at the Melwood Screening Room at 8:30 am, from the Silk Screen Festival:

Nuoc 2030 is a sophisticated dystopian mystery with a premise that may be grounded more in science than fiction. In the year 2030, extreme climate change has brought South Vietnam below sea level. Citizens now survive on boats and stilt houses and work on floating farms. When her husband is found dead, Sao (Quynh Hoa) takes a job at a floating farm run by a large corporation that she hopes will provide answers about his suspicious death. Not only does Sao encounter people from her past, but she is also confronted by revelations with larger implications than the simple, sad fate of her husband.

The 2015 festival runs from July 10 through July 18 at the Melwood Screening Room and the Regent Square Theater. Ticket information and the complete festival schedule are available through the festival's website. Both films will have additional screenings later in the week.

Cooking Class visits Everyday Noodles

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Cooking Class visits Squirrel Hill's Everyday Noodles to learn the recipe for pork and cabbage potstickers.

Shortly after Chen opened Everyday Noodles in Squirrel Hill with authentic Chinese dishes, 90 percent of the patrons were Asians, a testament to the restaurant's authenticity.

Now, about 50 percent of the diners at Everyday Noodles are non-Asians, who can savor traditional Asian dishes like dim sum, soup noodles and bubble tea.

“I bring South China (cuisine) and North China mixed together,” Chen says. Northern China has a drier climate, so the drier soil is more conducive to growing barley. Rice, which requires plenty of water, is grown in South China.

To ensure the authenticity of the dishes, Chen brings in well-trained chefs from Taiwan to teach his chefs how to prepare various dishes, which they do behind plate-glass partitions. There, patrons can view the staff stretching noodle dough or steaming dumplings.

“With Chinese cuisine, the preparation time is very long — cooking time is very short,” Chen says. He says Everyday Noodles is “fast-casual” with a hometown flavor.

“Everything is handmade,” Chen says.

Live from UB documentary on Mongolian rock music, July 12 and 18 in Oakland.

Live from UB, a documentary on Mongolian rock music by Pittsburgh transplant Lauren Knapp, will play at the Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival on July 12 and 18. The film's synopsis:

LIVE FROM UB explores the small but vibrant rock scene in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar (also called ‘UB’) by blending the story of one band creating original Mongolian rock with interviews from experts and Mongolian rock legends. Rock was a catalyst in the democratic revolution of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now, more than twenty years later, the first generation to grow up in this new society is making its own music. Unlike the generation before them, the new music makers grew up watching MTV and can access music from anywhere in the world in an instant. But these young Mongolians are defying the forces of globalization and using modern music to both explore and assert their own unique heritage. Like Mongolia at large, they are eager to be recognized beyond their borders, but without sacrificing their identity

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Both screenings will be held at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (map). The screening on the 18th will be followed by a Q & A with Knapp. Ticket information is available on the film festival's website.

홈런볼 대박!

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Jung-ho Kang (강정호) got a care package from Korea recently, says Root sports, including the chocolate-filled snack "Home Run Ball" (홈런볼) pictured above.

Post-Gazette on "The Asian Influence" on local dining.

Melissa McCart at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes on "The Asian Influence" in the local restaurant scene for Thursday's paper:

The influx of Asian students to Pittsburgh universities is one of the most important factors shaping Pittsburgh's restaurant community. Not only is it bringing to the city more Chinese, Korean, Indian and Asian-fusion eateries, it is also prompting some restaurant owners to shape menus according to students' cravings.

. . .

Beyond providing low-cost items for students on a budget, many restaurants are offering authentic regional cuisine as a separate menu or a subset of an expansive menu of Asian dishes. And as many restaurants cater to millennials and an even younger set, restaurants are diversifying menus so students can have it their way.

The article also includes a brief update on plans for Ramen Bar and Pink Box in Oakland. I was asked a few questions for the article but missed the deadline, but noted in my responses that it I don't think it's the local Asian student communities shaping the neighborhood, it's Asian and Asian-American entrepreneurs who have found menus that appeal to a wide variety of people. While a few restaurants are known for more specialized, authentic dishes, usually you'll find long menus at each place that stretch across a range of cuisines and invariably include things like sushi, fried rice, pad thai, and bubble tea.

Chinese movies Dearest (親愛的), Red Amnesia (闯入者), The History of Love, and The Nightingale (夜莺) at Silk Screen Film Festival July 11

Four Chinese movies will play on July 11, the second day of the 2015 Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival: Dearest (親愛的), Red Amnesia (闯入者), The History of Love, and The Nightingale (夜莺).



This year's festival runs from July 10 through 18. Each movie will have an additional showing; the full schedule is available online.