Animation techniques in Japan originated by photographing chalkboard drawings which were then partially erased, redrawn, and rephotographed. From this minimalist beginning to today's sophisticated techniques, millions of hand-drawn or constructed images have been brought to life by the unique visions of Japanese artists who favor this most filmic of media-a frame-by-frame encounter between camera and imagination. Daisuke Miyao writes in the Japan Society Newsletter, "Anime, Japanese animated films, have steadily increased in popularity in the United States. Yet the focus here has been predominantly on science fiction and erotic or violent films-only a portion of the wide variety of works produced within the field. The importance of sci-fi genre animation lies in the fact that it reflects the Japanese ambivalence toward science and technology-both the optimism and the fear of the Japanese people after the atomic bombs of World War II. However, the sci-fi genre, which is said to have originated with Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy in 1963, is only the tip of the iceberg in the rich world of Japanese animation, which began in 1917."Called "the god of manga" (comic strips and comic books), Tezuka exemplifies the link between anime and manga with films such as Astro Boy. But as Miyao writes, "Tezuka played an important role in the development of experimental, epic, and erotic animation. His shorts-the hilarious Jumping (1984), and Broken-Down Film (1985), which has confused even projectionists with its elaborate pranks-received international awards. Tezuka also developed anime with exciting, dramatic storylines." His versatility and energy can be seen in several of these programs alongside the innovative works of artists who came before and after him. Our programs are based on the series Anime: The History of Japanese Animated Films, curated by Kyoko Hirano at the Japan Society, New York, with research by Helen DuPont, Daisuke Miyao, and Robert Lazzaro. We wish to express our deep appreciation to these colleagues. We also wish to thank Isao Tsujimoto, The Japan Foundation; Emi Kanai, Tezuka Productions; Yuka Sakano, Kawakita Memorial Film Institute; Studio Rotasu; Echo Productions; Kawamoto Productions; Video Tokyo; Nagisa Oshima; Greg Forston, Palm Pictures; Cheng-sim Lim, UCLA Film and Television Archive.Program notes are by Kyoko Hirano, condensed from the Japan Society program guide.Anime: Japanese Animated FilmsSUNDAY JUNE 20, 1999 Jon Mirsalis on Piano SATURDAY APRIL 24, 1999
