This weekend, the campus will be engorged in ancient Japanese culture. The festival `Abunai! Step into the past' will show Japanese animated films and will present other aspects of Japan in a number of workshops, demonstrations and lectures.
According to experts, Japanese animated films differ greatly from Western ones. `They are not created for children and are more profound,' Festival Chairman Jeroen Broekhuijsen explains. `The quality of the animations is much higher, they are a lot smoother,' Secretary Danny Oudebos adds. Anime films are made in a variety of genres. Oudebos: `Just like in western films, there are anime versions of romantic dramas, comedies, and science fiction, but there also genres unfamiliar to the western world. One example is the `magic girl' films, which feature stories about a normal girl who for some reason suddenly receives magic powers.' Anime is also very accessible to people who normally watch mainly Hollywood movies, although a distinctly Japanese touch is detectable.
In addition, the festival also features Asian films, like Zebraman and Yojimbo. The latter is set 150 years ago, which is appropriate for the festival's theme: ancient Japan.
The festival offers more than just film. Activities such as Manga, mahjong, Arashi and the computer game Dance Revolution are just a smattering of the offerings. There are also a number of contests, ranging from noodle sucking to film voice-overs. UT catering will serve a different Japanese dish every night asd well as typical Japanese snacks.
Abunai, Step into the past. Friday 9 September 11 am - midnight, Saturday 10 September 9 am - midnight, Sunday 11 September 9 am - 9 pm. Vrijhof and Bastille. EUR 30. See www.abunaicon for more information.
Trans. Jeroen Latour
