Kore-eda Hirokazu’s AFTER LIFE Screening in 35mm September 20th at Webster University

Kore-eda Hirokazu’s AFTER LIFE (1998) will be screening in a 35mm print at Webster University Friday September 20th atWebster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood).  There will be an introduction and post-film Q&A by Dr. Linda Ehrlich, film scholar. The Film starts at 7:30 pm. A Facebook invite can be found HERE

Roger Ebert, in his 1999 review of After Life, suggested that Kore-eda is humanistic enough a director to warrant comparisons to Kurosawa and Bergman. Strong words, but watching After Life, you’ll see why. The film jumps off from the premise that when one dies, they briefly go into something of a holding area where the deceased choose their one favorite memory from their lifetimes. That memory is then all they take with them into eternity, leaving everything else behind. In production, Kore-eda mixed actors reciting scripted “memories” with real people giving real testimony about their memories, and one of the many strengths of the film is that we can never tell which is which.

A small mid-20th century social-service-style office is a waystation for the souls of the recently deceased, where they are processed before entering their personal heaven – a single happy memory re-experienced for eternity. Every Monday, a new group of recently deceased people check in, and the “social workers” in the lodge explain their situation. Once the newly-dead have identified their happiest memories, workers design and replicate each person’s chosen memory, which is staged and filmed. At the end of the week, the recently deceased watch the films of their recreated happiest memories in a screening room. As soon as each person sees his or her own memory, he or she vanishes to whatever state of existence lies beyond and takes only that single memory with them. The story pays most attention to two of the “counselors,” Takashi (Arata) and Shiori (Oda). Takashi has been assigned to help an old man, Ichiro (played by Naito Taketoshi), select his memory.

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Screening from a 35mm print.

Admission is:

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.