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Asian Pop-Up Cinema: THE COFFIN PAINTER (2021)

THE COFFIN PAINTER (DA FEI, 2021, 95 MIN, DCP, CHINA)

Please note early start time of 5:30 PM

RSVP THROUGH ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA 

In his second feature film, director Da Fei tells the story of a cross-generational friendship between two strangers: Jia, an older man who lost a son tragically, and Seven, a middle school girl who has moved to the neighborhood with her mother, fleeing from debt. Jia works as a coffin painter, the traditional Chinese craftsman who draws religious symbols on caskets for the dead; he is afforded a close view of people’s different attitudes towards their families, and towards life and death. Though dealing with the challenges of loss and transition, the three individuals find themselves drifting closer together into the warmth of shared company. With a keen eye for the  details of daily life in a small town, Da Fei portrays the nuanced experiences of loneliness in an indifferent world. As Jia and Seven find healing through understanding, their lives begin to turn around…

Asian Pop-Up Cinema at the Block Museum

Asian Pop-Up Cinema, founded in 2015, is an annual Asian Film Festival dedicated to “bridging east and west through cinema.”

In collaboration with the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at Northwestern University, Asian Pop-Up Cinema brings four films from China, India, Japan, and South Korea respectively to Block Cinema. This new program features films reflecting on contemporary social issues and fostering a shared appreciation for Asian art and culture. 

This initiative is made possible through the generous support of Northwestern University’s Block Museum of the Art, Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, WCAS Language Resource Center, the Council on Language Instruction, as well as the Simeon Leland Forum.  

Ticketing Note from Asian Pop-Up Cinema: For free screening ticket holders, seats on the day of the screening are subject to availability on a first-come, first-serve basis. Any unclaimed seats will be released 15 minutes prior to showtime.

The Coffin Painter (China) Official Trailer from Asian Pop-Up Cinema on Vimeo.

Contact The Block Museum of Art for more information: (847) 491-4000 or email us at block-museum@northwestern.edu