Asia Society at the Movies: I Was A Simple Man
VIEW EVENT DETAILSI Was A Simple Man is a ghost story set in the pastoral countryside of the north shore of O‘ahu,
Hawai‘i. Revealed in four chapters, it tells the story of an elderly man facing the end of his life,
visited by the ghosts of his past. Incorporating familial history and mythology, dream logic and
surrealism, I Was a Simple Man is a time-shifting, kaleidoscopic story of a fractured family
facing the death of their patriarch that will take us from the high-rises of contemporary
Honolulu to pre-WWII pastorals of O‘ahu and, finally, into the beyond.
Join Asia Society at the Movies for a conversation that explores the film with director Christopher Makoto Yogi.
Speaker:
Christopher Makoto Yogi (Writer/Director/Editor) is an artist and filmmaker from Honolulu, Hawai‘i. His debut feature film, the award-winning August at Akiko’s, had its World Premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2018 to critical acclaim. Richard Brody in The New Yorker named it one of the best films of 2019. I Was a Simple Man, his second feature film, has participated in the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs, IFP Film Week, Film Independent’s Fast Track, and received a Jerome Foundation and Cinereach grant. Yogi's short films include the documentaries Occasionally, I Saw Glimpses of Hawai‘i and Makoto: or, Honesty, and the fiction film Obake (Ghosts). Yogi is a Berlinale Talents, Visual Communications’ Armed with a Camera, Kyoto Filmmakers Lab, and New York Film Festival Artists Academy fellow.
Moderator:
Rachel Cooper is director of the Culture as Diplomacy Initiative at Asia Society. Cooper has presented and served as curator for film programs from India, Indonesia, China, Iran, Japan, Korea, and Thailand, as well as produced and presented performances from throughout Asia. She has co-sponsored and presented various film festivals and film series at Asia Society, including the Iranian Documentary and Short Film Festival, the Asian American International Film Festival, and the IAAC India Film Festival, among others. She has organized major arts and culture initiatives, including Festival of Song: Music of India and Pakistan, Creative Voices of Islam in Asia, Festival of Indonesia, and Dance—the Spirit of Cambodia. In addition, she has conducted and published research on the international impact of the arts, which resulted in the report Making a Difference through the Arts. In 2006 she was awarded the Dawson Award for Sustained Excellence in Arts Programming.
How to Watch the Film
Discounted tickets for I Was A Simple Man are available in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Royal (11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West L.A., CA 90025) for Asia Society members. Just ask for the "JENNI JAM" discount at the box office for an $8 ticket. Arrive early, first come first served. The discount is not available for online ticket purchases.
I Was A Simple Man
Genre: Drama
Duration: 100 minutes
Director: Christopher Makoto Yogi
Produced By: Sarah S. Kim, Christopher Makoto Yogi, Matthew Petock, Yamato Cibulka
Executive Producers: Ken Whitney, Elizabeth Reiko, Kubota Whitney, Ric Galindez, Roy Tjioe, Eric Nyari
Associate Producers: Cris Clatte, David Chan, James Michael Blackmore, Josh Garcia, Jason Cutinella
Co-Producers: Daniel Patrick Carbone, Zachary Shedd, Anne Misawa, Martin Dorsch, William Kwok
Language: English
Writer: Christopher Makoto Yogi
Principal Cast: Steve Iwamoto, Constance Wu, Kanoa Goo, Chanel Akiko Hirai, Tim Chiou, Nelson Lee, Kyle Kosaki, Boonyanudh (BJ) Jiyarom, Alex Capri Leinani Bodden, Akiko Masuda
This program is presented by Asia Society Museum and Asia Society Southern California as part of Asia Society at the Movies, a series that showcases a broad range of films and filmmakers from across Asia and the Asian diaspora.
This program and screening are made possible by Strand Releasing.
Asia Society at the Movies
Asia Society is proud to present Asia Society at the Movies, a new series of film screenings and conversations showcasing a broad range of films and filmmakers from across Asia and the Asian diaspora. Asia Society at the Movies celebrates established and emerging voices, contemporary films and classics, and documentaries. The series builds on Asia Society’s long and rich history of film programming. This initiative also serves to deepen understanding of Asian cultures—a core part of Asia Society’s mission since its creation. Learn more about the Asia Society at the Movies initiative.
About Asia Society Museum
Asia Society Museum presents a wide range of traditional, modern, and contemporary exhibitions of Asian and Asian American art, taking new approaches to familiar masterpieces and introducing under-recognized arts and artists. The Asia Society Museum Collection comprises a traditional art collection, including the initial bequests of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, and a contemporary art collection. Through exhibitions and public programs, Asia Society provides a forum for the issues and viewpoints reflected in both traditional and contemporary Asian art and in Asia today.
About Asia Society Southern California
Established in Los Angeles in 1985, Asia Society Southern California (ASSC) is ideally situated at the gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. ASSC has played a pivotal role through creative programs and activities in increasing shared knowledge, enhancing dialogue, and furthering cultural exchanges transcending regional boundaries. As part of the global Asia Society, which was founded more than 60 years ago in New York City, ASSC has launched many creative initiatives and programs addressing current issues of importance across the fields of the arts, culture, policy, business, and education.