Decolonizing the Postwar: Memory, Narrative, and Temporality in Takahata Isao's Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Speaker: Dr. Jiajun Liang (University of California, Merced
Date and time: December 9, 2021 (Thursday), 9:30 am – 10:30 am (HK time)
In this talk, Dr. Liang discusses the use of incongruous color schemes and layered narratives in Takahata Isao’s animated film Grave of the Fireflies (1988) as a way to reflect on the lingering traces of the Pacific War in postwar Japanese society. He argues that while the past and the present coexist within the same visual frame in the film, they refuse to be subsumed into a unified, coherent temporality that posits the painful memories of the past as stepping stones leading toward a peaceful, prosperous future. This talk encapsulates some of the fundamental issues in his work and proposes to reconceptualize the discourse of the postwar as an ongoing process that involves multiple, fragmented, and decentered temporalities across geographic boundaries.
Meeting ID: 973 4620 6514
Password: 345187