Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking Movie Screening

Thursday, March 11, 2010
5:30pm - 9:30pm
LSK 201/ Leonard S. Klinck Building 201, UBC

Free admission (donations are highly appreciated)

Special Guests:
Dr. John Howes (Scholar of Japanese history, Asian studies professor)
Mary Ohara (Internment camp survivor)
Thekla Lit (Founder and president of BC ALPHA)
Satoko Norimatsu (Founder of Peace Philosophy Center)

Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking is a moving and powerful film on the story of Iris Chang who almost single-hadnely brought this forgotten 'Holocaust' in Asia during WWII to the awareness of the western world. Her book The rape of Nanking - the Forgotten Holocaust of WWII made the best seller list in New Yrok Times for over 5 months when it was published in 1997. Until her untimely death in 2004, Iris had continued to be the voice for the voiceless victims, despite vicious vilification from 'revisionists' Iris' legacy for us all is the ray of hope, justice and peace. This feature docudrama (103min) in HD is produced by Real Productions based in Toronto. The beautiful theme song, specifically composed to honor and be in memory of the spirit of Iris, makes this film more unforgettable. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired. For more information of the film, visit http://www.irischangthemovie.com/

- ALPHA (Association for learning and preserving history in Asia)

High School Outreach Program news (URGENT):

PLEASE contact and respond to Denny’s emails ASAP if you are still interested in participating in the research part of the presentations. Denny is the group leader and will be planning meetings that will likely take place very soon. The group has been given a deadline to have the research completed and organised by January 31. Please let him know your schedule so he can organise the most efficient meetings.

Executive members are working with contacting schools and other relevant organisations.

Upcoming events:

AWWA’s first movie of the month will take place Thursday, January 14th, 2010. The movie will be "Grave of the Fireflies". The movie welcomes everyone and will be the first social gathering for AWWA members. Venue is yet to be determined.

The second event is still being planned and will be discussed at the General Meeting. As of now, it will be a movie with either a beer garden or wine and cheese event following afterward. The movie will be the new docudrama that was screened during the summer by AWWA called "Iris Chang, the Rape of Nanking". The date and time of the event has yet to be confirmed but it has been decided to take place the first week of February, before the midterms roll in and before the Reading Break/Olympic Games happen.

Victor will be sending out the invites to organisations to attend the second event, such as Satoko Norimatsu from the Peace Philosophy Center and Thekla Lit of ALPHA (and probably her executive team). Gaby Y. will send out invites to some professors and other clubs on UBC campus that includes clubs like HSA, IRSA and JSA.

The next General Meeting and first of 2010 will take place on Wednesday, January 13th in BuchB141 @ 5pm. The meeting will mostly likely take an hour to an hour and half long. For the first time, there will be refreshments. I hope to see most of you there!

AWWA is planning to attend the Canadian premiere of "John Rabe" at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Please let us know if you want to attend either by email or on the forum.

Courageous German businessman John Rabe, who was partly responsible for saving an estimated 200,000 people during the Japanese Rape of Nanjing, is given a worthy, stirring, old-style widescreen memorial in this $20 million epic... [The film] opens with a swish choreography of extras and crane shots, setting a polished Cinemascope agenda as it establishes (via captions and some newsreel footage) the historical context. Having taken Shanghai, the Japanese army is now, on 1 December 1937, advancing towards Nanjing. Meanwhile Rabe, played with a winning mixture of stubborn strength and vulnerability by Ulrich Tukur, is about to be transferred back to Germany with his wife Dora (Manzel) by Siemens, whose Nanjing factory he manages. But the aerial bombardment of the city delays the couple's plans for departure, and gradually, as the besieged city's plight worsens, company and family man Rabe is transformed, to his slight bemusement, into a hero.

Date: Wednesday Oct. 14, 2009
Time: 6:45pm - 9:30pm
Location:
Visa Screening Room @ Empire Granville Theatre 7
855 Granville Street, Vancouver
Cost: $11.00 + $2.00 VIFF membership fee ($13.00)