On Wed, 6 Nov 2002, James Miller wrote:

> Screen-L:
>
> I'm currently working on a project involving ghost films, and have amassed
> a pretty massive filmography by now. Still, I'm wondering whether anyone
> can point me to relatively recent ghost films from Taiwan or Poland
> besides the obvious ones I already know?
>
> For Taiwan I have: Hou's "Good Men, Good Women"; Tsai's "What Time is It
> There?" and maybe Yang's "Yi Yi"?
>
> For Poland: I only have Kieslowski's "No End" (1984)
>
> Any ideas?

Dear Andy, I don't know about Taiwan or Poland, but what an interesting
study!  I would love to see your filmography!  Incidentally, do you
know of a Japanese film called Kwaidan [sp] which recounts the story of
"earless Hoichi" and the Heike?  Or am I thinking of a collection of
stories?  I believe it was turned into a film; it's about the defeated
Japanese tribe (twelfth century)--the Heike whose faces turned up on the
backs of the crabs that inhabit the beach where they were vanquished.
Their ghosts coerced a blind poet (Hoichi) into coming to their haunted
gathering where he recited panegyric about the old Heike warriors--to the
selfsame dead warriors.  As he grew paler and more wan from his visit with
the spectral, a simple rustic followed him to the place where he recited,
and saw that his audience were apparitions.  A priest covered his body
with holy scripture but forgot his ears, and the ghost, come to fetch him,
tore the ears off his head.  So now he is earless Hoichi.  Is there such a
film?  Or am I just hopeful?

As for Poland, I have a colleague here who specializes in Polish film, and
I can submit your letter to her.

Sarah
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Sarah L. Higley                            [log in to unmask]
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Associate Professor of English                office:  (585) 275-9261
The University of Rochester                   fax:     (585) 442-5769
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Py dydwc glein / O erddygnawt vein?
"What brings a gem from a hard stone?"               Book of Taliesin
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