By Yuki Nakayama, Ecology Center Environmental Storyteller Rackham Fellow
I love movies! My passion led to me pursuing a Ph.D. in it. As a film fan, my “More Life, Less Stuff” activities frequently center on going to local film screenings and events on my own and with friends. There is a special kind of experience that you can only get from watching a movie on a big screen in a dark theater room away from smartphones and outside realities. The films create a temporary escape and provide a rich topic to have interesting conversations with friends. The events also help me connect with new people interested in films.
The More Life, Less Stuff campaign is not simply about encouraging more sustainable lifestyle choices and buying less stuff. It is about encouraging people to look around to find local experiences that can enrich our lives as an individual and as a community. What counts as an enriching, fun experience will differ for each person. We want to help inspire readers to think about what kind of activities they might enjoy by sharing some of our favorites.
In this article, I want to inform you about the cool film series currently taking place on the University of Michigan Campus by different research centers and departments. Many of which are free!
Nam Center for Korean Studies: Korean Cinema Now (Free Event)
The Nam Center for Korean Studies was established in 2007. The Korean Cinema Now film series is one of my favorite film series on campus. The series takes place in the Winter term (January to April) on Saturdays at 1pm and is free (first come first serve basis). One of the main attractions of this series is that it focuses on recently released films (blockbusters and independent) that do not normally circulate in the US. Despite the fact that we now have streaming platforms, many films around the world are still hard to see, especially new releases. The series includes a wide range of genres.
The upcoming film is Exhuma (Jang Jae-Hyun, 2024), a horror thriller about an investigation into a supernatural illness plaguing a wealthy family and the dark mystery that is unearthed from the grave. Screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in 2023, this film was the highest grossing South Korean film of 2024 and the sixth highest grossing South Korean Film of all time. Come see Exhuma on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 1 PM at the State Theater (Tickets not needed. First come, first serve)
You can view the entire line up and get more information on the Marquee Arts website.
Center for South Asian Studies: Spotlight on Women Directors (Free)
The Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) ,established in 1999, started their film series in 2023 to join the unique landscape of Asian cinema series and events at the University of Michigan. The series takes place over the academic school year featuring a mixture of recent releases, old classics, blockbuster films, and independent films from all over South Asia (not just Bollywood films)! Many South Asian Films, especially independent films, do not circulate widely in the US and free screenings need special approval from the distributor. The founding curator, Veerandra Prasad, uses the personal connections he has built over the years to bring these films to Ann Arbor audiences. He is a screenwriter, director, and lecturer in the department of Film, Television, and Media. Each film will have a short intro by the curator.
This year the film series focuses on women directors. The next film is an Indian comedy film, titled Laapataa Ladies (Kiran Rao, 2024), about two young brides accidentally swapped on the train that end up on a journey with hilarious and unexpected consequences. This film was selected as India’s entry for the Best International Feature Film Category for the upcoming 97th Academy Awards over ALL We Imagine as Light which created some controversy. The screening is on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 7pm at the Michigan Theater (must reserve a ticket through the Michigan Theater website). The films are announced on the CSAS website and the Marquee Arts website.
Center for Japanese Studies: Masato Harada: A Life in Cinema (Tickets available for purchase)
The Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) was founded in 1947 and has organized many events related to Japan. Their film series is the longest running Japanese film series in the world. They have shown over 650 films and invited many filmmakers to Ann Arbor. The film series takes place during the winter term (January to April) every Thursday at 7pm at the State Theater. All of the screenings have a short introduction by the curator or an expert.
This year’s series focuses on the works by director Masato Harada, curated by Markus Nornes (Professor of Asian Cinema in the department of Film, Television, & Media and Asian Languages & Cultures). The next film of the series is The Emperor in August (2015), which is a remake of the 1967 film Japan’s Longest Day by Kihachi Okamoto. This film chronicles the chain of events in the last 4 months of World War II in Japan leading to the famous surrender broadcast by Emperor Hirohito on August 15, 1945. The Emperor in August is currently not available for streaming in the US so don’t miss your chance to see it on Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7 PM at the State Theater (Ticket Purchase required).
Check out the films and purchase your tickets on the Marquee Arts Webpage.

These are just a few of the film series available through the University of Michigan. There are many other film-related events running at various points in the year:
- The German film series by the German Languages & Cultures department (free with food).
- II Cineforum: Italian Classics on Campus Series by the Romance Languages & Literatures department (free).
- WCEE Film series by Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (free).
- CHOP (China Ongoing Perspectives) film events by the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (free).
- The Polish film festival by the Slavic Languages & Literatures department (free for UM students).
All free events that are open to the public organized by the University of Michigan can be found on the Happenings @ Michigan page.
Don’t miss out on the cool (free!) opportunities here in Ann Arbor to connect with films that are otherwise difficult to access. Be part of the Ann Arbor film community and history by attending the events. More articles about inspiring More Life, Less Stuff activities will be coming soon. If there are any groups or organizations you think should be featured as part of this series, please let us know! We’re always excited to learn about local groups.