More than a century after it began, the Japanese silent films get a renewed spotlight with the limited world tour of The Art of Benshi, coming to L.A. on April 19-21. It's part of a world tour traveling through Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and Tokyo.

Benshi, derived from "katsudō benshi" or "movie orator," were the narrators of Japan's silent film era. These artists introduced films and also provided live narration, portraying characters, and articulating the on-screen action, filling theaters and enthralling audiences. 

LAist's How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro digs into this old art form and its role on the early days of Los Angeles when Japanese immigrant farmers would travel into the city to watch these films and the Benshi. 

For more, read about it in LAist: 

https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/japanese-silent-cinema-and-l-a-history-collide-this-weekend

Or listen to the whole How to LA podcast anywhere you get your feeds. 

More than a century after it began, the Japanese silent films get a renewed spotlight with the limited world tour of The Art of Benshi, coming to L.A. on April 19-21. It's part of a world tour traveling through Washington D.C., New York, Chicago and Tokyo.
Benshi, derived from "katsudō benshi" or "movie orator," were the narrators of Japan's silent film era. These artists introduced films and also provided live narration, portraying characters, and articulating the on-screen action, filling theaters and enthralling audiences. 
LAist's How to LA producer Victoria Alejandro digs into this old art form and its role on the early days of Los Angeles when Japanese immigrant farmers would travel into the city to watch these films and the Benshi.  For more, read about it in LAist: <a href="https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/japanese-silent-cinema-and-l-a-history-collide-this-weekend">https://laist.com/news/how-to-la/japanese-silent-cinema-and-l-a-history-collide-this-weekend</a> Or listen to the whole How to LA podcast anywhere you get your feeds.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

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