Simply borrow 4 items from any (or even all!) of the participating public libraries below and stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to ‘Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral‘ by The Theatre Practice!

The participating libraries are:

1. library@esplanade (Where?)
2. Cheng San Public Library (Where?)
3. Central Public Library (Where?)
4. Toa Payoh Public Library (Where?)

You can find the loan promotion details at each of the 4 libraries, so look out for the special corner set aside for this promotion:

Promotion ends Wed, 8 Sep 2010, so hurry! Alternatively, if you prefer to buy a ticket, feel free to head over here.

Here’s a trailer for the upcoming performance:

This year’s Japanese Film Festival casts the spotlight on OSHIMA Nagisa, who many consider the leader of Japan’s ‘New Wave’ directors who rose to prominence in the 60s.

Over at Sense of Cinema, Nelson Kim gives us a detailed look at the man and his movies, while Strictly Film School highlights some of Oshima’s most prominent works.

What follows is a list of Oshima’s works that you can find at library@esplanade. All items are in the realm of your borrowing pleasure…

Films
in the realm of senses

Title: Taiyo no Hakaba / The Sun’s Burial
Call No.: AV Other 791.4372 TAI
Catalogue synopsis:
Set in the underworld of Osaka’s biggest slum, where teenage gangs, prostitutes and a cruel femme fatale vie for control of the area’s most profitable business — an illegal blood-selling operation — and a right-wing fanatic prepares frantically for World War III.

in the realm of senses

Title: Seishun Zankoku Monogatari / Naked Youth
Call No.: AV Other 791.4372 SEI
Catalogue synopsis:
The first Japanese New Wave film to reach the screens takes up the theme of alienated youth and generational differences. A young couple set up an intimidation scam, which combines thrills and desire, whereby Mako allows herself to be picked up by men while hitchhiking until Kiyashi arrives on his motorcycle to extort money from them. The couple come up against a criminal gang in a bar they frequent.

Like the teenagers in Rebel Without a Cause the young couple are neither rebels nor victims of society. While Mako and Kiyoshi are not politically motivated they are placed in a political frame of reference being compared with a politically active couple involved in the student based New Left’s demonstations in 1960 against the renewal of the security treaty with the US and an older couple who were involved in the Old Left’s demonstrations a decade earlier.

in the realm of senses

Title: Nihon no Yoru to Kiri / Night and Fog in Japan
Call No.: AV Other 791.4372 NIH
Catalogue synopsis:
Two generations of student movement activists confront each other on their attitudes toward the Japan-United States Security Treaty at a friend’s wedding ceremony.

in the realm of senses

Title: Ai to Kibō no Machi / Street of Love and Hope
Call No.: AV Other 791.4372 AI
Catalogue synopsis:
A poor boy becomes friends with a rich girl. He has a pigeon which he sells, but since it is a homing pigeon, he can actually sell it over and over again. The bird becomes the symbol of his friendship for the girl as well, but in the end she has her brother shoot and kill it.

in the realm of senses

Title: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Call No.: AV 791.4372 MER
Catalogue synopsis:
A powerful wartime drama where the story focuses on a battle of wills and philosophies fought between Major Celliers as the prisoner of war, and the camp commander, Captain Yonnoi. Captain Yonnoi is mystified by the new prisoner that he fails to intimidate and believes he is evil spirit. In a desperate attempt to restore his sense of power, he provokes Celliers into a final act of defiance which seals both their fates.

in

Books

[1]
Title: The Films of Oshima Nagisa: Images of a Japanese Iconoclast
Author: Maureen Turim
Call No.: 791.430233092 TUR

in the realm of senses

in the realm of senses

[2]
Title: Cinema, Censorship and the State: The Writings of Nagisa Oshima, 1956-1978
By: Nagisa Oshima; edited by Annette Michelson; translated by Dawn Lawson.
Call No.: 791.430952 OSH

in the realm of senses

All images sources from Amazon.com. Please note that cover images of the titles may differ from those in the library.

In case you haven’t heard, the Japanese Film Festival is back in town. For all the hot picks and happening news, do head over to their official website and Facebook page!

To celebrate, we’ve tied up with Singapore Film Society to bring you another exciting JFF2010 loan promotion at library@esplanade. Simply borrow at least 4 items from the library, answer a simple quiz and you stand a chance to win tickets to some of JFF2010 most anticipated shows!

What’s more, for our final week draw, you will stand a chance to win a SFS Reel card that entitles you to free or discounted screenings organised by the SFS!

So pop by the library@esplanade before all the prizes are won!

Overheard between the aisle of the shelves:

Patron A: Psst…did you know anything about the library@esplanade LIVE event happening this Saturday?

Patron B: Oh yes, I do. I’ve seen the poster and the little call cards at the counter. Why?

Patron A: I saw on the facebook event page that fantastic prizes are to be won, and …one of them is a guitar! How cool can it get?

Patron B: Really? All right, I’m so going to the library this Saturday! The event starts at 11 am, right.

Patron A: Righto! But first, you gotta beat me in the games before you can win the guitar.

Patron B: Bro, I’m sure I know the Library better than you do. Just watch me!

Find out more at the library@esplanade ‘LIVE’ Facebook page.

I am sad that Mr. Chow had to leave the production, but Mr. Chou looks the part at least. Here’s him joking about his English.

In any case, relive the classic Green Hornet with Bruce Lee in the role of Kato at library@esplanade!

[1]
Title: The Green Hornet
Call No.: AV 791.4372 GRE
Catalogue summary: When the crime syndicate decides to eliminate the Green Hornet’s interference with their dirty deeds, Kato, his faithful companion and a Kung fu master, must battle Kung fu emissaries and mysterious aliens from outer space in order to save the world.

[2]
Title: Fury of the Dragon
Call No.: AV 791.4372 FUR
Catalogue summary: This movie takes Kato and the Green Hornet on four epic adventures, including trying to stop a plot to oust a young prince of a foreign power and exposing two crooked cops, a case that leads to The Green Hornet being wounded and then nearly killed. Kato and The Green Hornet are then pushed to the very limit by a well organised gang carrying out a million dollar art heist, and using a fantastic ray gun to remove anyone in their path. Finally, the last adventure takes out heroes into the dark underworld of drug trafficking, testing all their skills in crime fighting.

[3]
Title: The Green Hornet
Call No.: AV 791.4572 GRE
Catalogue summary: The city is faced with rising crime and increased racketeering activity. Intrepid newspaper editor, Britt Reid becomes the crime fighter the Green Hornet to take on the bad guys. As far as the police are concerned, the Hornet himself is the criminal. This misunderstanding enables Reid to operate ‘outside the law’ to battle evil and injustice. Working along side the Hornet is the brilliant inventor/sidekick Kato, the only person who knows the true identity of the Hornet.

*: This one doesn’t feature Bruce Lee, I think, but it’s still exciting : )

Latin American and Spanish Guitar Concert
by Sebastian Pompilio & Justin Hyer

Argentine guitarist Sebastian Pompilio and British guitarist Justin Hyer perform a selection of solo and duo works by Spanish and Latin American composers. Concert to include works by Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Turina, Pereira, Gnattali and Sanchez.

Sebastian Pompilio is one of Argentina’s new generation of virtuoso performers. He has studied with leading figures in the classical guitar world such as Eduardo Isaac, Walter Heinze, Omar Cyrulnik, Aniello Desiderio, Roland Dyens and Tilman Hoppstock. He has performed in solo recitals and alongside orchestras in concerts across Latin America and Europe.

In 2009, the composer Oscar Vidal dedicated to Sebastian his “Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra”, the world premiere of which was performed by Sebastian with the Argentinean Radio and Television Philharmonia that same year. The concert, which was broadcast live on the National Radio of Argentina and was received with critical acclaim.

As well as his soloist career, Sebastian has dedicated himself to the research and development of new guitar techniques. He has attended many festivals across Latin America where he has given talks and lectures on his new ideas.

Justin Hyer, born in 1984, has already established himself as one of England’s most promising emerging classical guitarists. Having lived in South America for some years where he studied with Eduardo Isaac and Alfredo Escande, he has become somewhat of a specialist in the interpretation of South American repertoire. He has toured extensively across Latin America and the UK. One such performance highlight was in 2007 when he represented England at the II Annual Guitar Festival “Homage to Augustin Barrios” which saw him play a series of concerts across Paraguay.

He has performed on the famous Uruguayan television programme “La guitarra y sus interpretes” (The guitar and its interpreters) and has since then he has gone on to perform various other television and radio concerts in Paraguay and also in Argentina where he conducted a programme tracing the development of classical guitar traditions in England. He was interviewed for the national paper “El Norte” in Argentina which featured him as the main article in the culture section.

In 2006, his former teacher and composer Richard Storry, upon hearing him perform with Argentine guitarist Mario Yaniquini, wrote and dedicated a work to the duo entitled “A day in Valencia”. Justin currently studies at Trinity College of Music under Graham Anthony Devine.

Programme:

Justin Hyer

Joaquin Rodrigo (1901 – 1999)
- Sarabanda Lejana.
- Invocacion y Danza

Marco Pereira (b.1952)
- Plainte

Juan Antonio Sanchez (b1965)
- Chiloetica
- Tonada por Despedida
- Chacarera de Ramirez

Sebastian Pompilio

Astor Piazzolla (1921 – 1992)
- Triunfal
- Jacinto Chiclana

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 – 1959)
- Study Nr. 11
- Choro

Isaac Albeniz (1860 – 1909)
- Granada

Joaquin Turina (1882 – 1949)
- Homage to Tarrega

Justin Hyer & Sebastian Pompilio

Walter Heinze (1943 – 2005)
- Chamame en Mi

Astor Piazzolla
- Otoño Porteño

Radames Gnattali (1906 – 1988)
- Suite Retratos ; Choro, Schottish, Corta Jaca.

Borrow at least 4 items from the following libraries and stand a chance to win tickets to the Singapore Arts Festival 2010 every week!

The participating libraries are:
- library@esplanade
- Central Public Library
- Tampines Regional Library
- Woodlands Regional Library
- Jurong Regional Library

Here’s how it goes:

• Borrow at least 4 items from one of the participating libraries above.

• Write your NAME, NRIC, EMAIL & CONTACT NUMBER on the back of your loan receipt(s).

• Drop your loan receipt(s) into the lucky draw box provided at the same library. That’s it!

• Promotion runs from Friday, 14 May – Sunday, 6 Jun 2010. Weekly winners to be drawn, so hurry!

Schedule of Draws:
Each participating library will draw 2 winners every week within the loan promotion period. Each winner gets 1 pair of tickets to a Singapore Arts Festival 2010 performance. Non-winning entries for each week will be rolled over to the next draw until the promotion ends.

The lucky draw schedule is as follows:

Week 1: Winners drawn and notified by Mon, 24 May 2010.
Prize: 2 pairs of tickets to O Sounds (Sat, 29 May 2010, 8pm @ Victoria Theatre) to be won at each participating library.

Week 2: Winners drawn and notified by Mon, 31 May 2010.
Prize: 2 pairs of tickets to Heroine (Sat, 5 Jun, 8pm, Drama Centre @ National Library Building) to be won at each participating library.

Week 3: Winners drawn and notified by Mon, 7 Jun 2010.
Prize: 2 pair of tickets to Maybe Forever (Sat, 12 Jun, 8pm, Drama Centre @ National Library Building) to be won at each participating library.

Terms & Conditions:

1. Combined loan receipts of different dates are accepted. However, all receipts must be in the same name.
2. Loan receipts must be dated between 14 May 2010 – 06 Jun 2010.
3. All items borrowed should be from the participating library where the entry is submitted.
4. Participants are allowed multiple entries.
5. NLB’s decision on all matters pertaining to this promotion is final. Only winners will be notified.
6. NLB reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions of this promotion from time to time without prior notice.

The Singapore Arts Festival is right around the corner again! This year, the National Arts Council and NLB Public Libraries are working together to bring you a series of Festival Chats, where you can learn more about the shows that will be featuring in Singapore Arts Festival 2010.

So join us for this series of informative chats and previews of the upcoming Singapore Arts Festival programmes. Come and hear the artists’ journey in art making.

The schedule:

[iv]
Date: Sat 29 May
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: Introduction to Dance Film
What is dance film? Hear the panel share about the challenges of choreography and filming the moving image. Guest speakers include Yuni Hadi & Daniel Kok, Guest Curators, Singapore Arts Festival, Dance Film Series.
Venue: library@esplanade

[v]
Date: Sat 12 Jun
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: The Festival So Far… Have Your Say!
Come meet the Singapore Arts Festival team and share with us your festival experience. Moderated by Ms. Audrey Wong, Nominated Member of Parliament.
Venue: Tampines Regional Library

[vi]
Date: Sat 26 Jun
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: Singapore Arts Festival 2011 – A Preview
Come hear Mr. Low Kee Hong, General Manager of the Singapore Arts Festival share highlights of the 2011 festival.
Venue: Central Public Library

Click here to download a copy of the schedule (right click and save as).

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The following talks in the series have ended:

[i]
Date: Sat 27 Mar
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: Artists Reflections – Revisiting Local Creations
A panel of local artists will share their creation process. Guest speakers include Haresh Sharma, Resident Playwright, The Necessary Stage and Jeremiah Choy, Director/Producer.
Venue: Ang Mo Kio Public Library

[ii]
Date: Sat 24 April
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: Contemporary Performances with a Purpose?
The panel will share about the practice of issues/themes driven performance. Guest speakers include Joyce Koh, Composer/Musician/Educator.
Venue: Marine Parade Public Library

[iii]
Date: Sat 15 May
Time: 3.00 – 4.30pm
Topic: International Collaborations
A panel of both international and local artists will share their experiences working internationally. Guest speakers include Haris Pasovic, Director, East West Theatre Company, Jörg Karrenbauer, Director of Cargo Kuala Lumpur – Singapore and Ho Tzu Nyen, Visual Artist/Film Maker/Theatre Director.
Venue: Queenstown Public Library

Dance film as an art form finds its balance between the film and performing arts world. It embraces the visual language of film that dramatises scenes through seamless editing, and is heightened by the fluidity of dance movements choreographed to create drama, tension and space.

On 29 May 2010 at 3pm, join us at the library@esplanade as we delve into the art of the dance film with a panel of guest speakers that includes Yuni Hadi, the guest curator of the dance film series for the Singapore Arts Festival 2010.

Admission to the talk is free and no registration is required.

This Singapore Arts Festival 2010 event is part of a free series of Festival Chats designed to inform and educate the public on the performing arts.

For a full listing of talks, please visit Festival Chats @ Public Libraries.