Learn about Japanese art forms with a presentation from Dr. Minae Savas. Dr. Savas will be spending the first half-hour discussing the film Spirited Away by the director Hayao Miyazaki (from Studio Ghibli). The remaining half-hour will be an origami lesson. On Friday, April 21st, Dr. Savas will be back to discuss another Miyazaki film and give another origami lesson. Teens and adults welcome!

“No Face” or Kaonashi (lit. faceless) is a humanoid spirit, which appears in the award-winning film, Spirited Away (2001) directed by Hayao Miyazaki. This talk unravels the baffling versatility of the dark humanoid spirit and highlights its longing for identity. “No face” has no voice. “No Face” has no substance/body. Yet, it acts like a human, revealing their emotions and desires. Is “No Face” an evil spirit, trying to harm humans, or just a lonely spirit, trying to get the attention of the innocent human girl, Chihiro? Come join us for the lecture to explore this mysterious character “No Face” in Spirited Away!

Dr. Minae Yamamoto Savas is an Associate Professor of Japanese Studies at Bridgewater State University. She received her Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures from The Ohio State University. Her primary research interest lies in the dynamic nature of traditional Japanese theater that comes together as negotiations between forces and perspectives in the political, cultural, and aesthetic realms.