KŪKAI - Pasadena Screening

KŪKAI Screening Join us for a special screening of KŪKAI, followed by a post-screening Q&A with the Creative Team. Event Details Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026 Admission Time: 2:30 PM Screening Time: 3:00 PM Venue: South Pasadena Public Library, Community Room,1100 Oxley St, South Pasadena, CA 91030 What to Expect A 90-minute screening of KŪKAI A post-screening Q&A with members of the film’s creative team The film features Chinese narration with English subtitles For more details, please visit the official website: https://www.kukaimovie.com Directed by Yue Ye, the 90-minute film traces Kūkai's journey to Tang China and the enduring themes of learning, compassion and cultural exchange. The screening offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience a film that unfolds as a cinematic, historical, and spiritual journey, an immersive exploration of faith, consciousness, and cultural exchange across East Asia, following the extraordinary life and legacy of the Buddhist monk Kūkai. Presented in Chinese with English subtitles, the documentary traces Kūkai's journey to Tang China in 804 AD, where he studied under Master Huiguo, the seventh patriarch of Tang Esoteric Buddhism. His return to Japan would go on to shape religious practice, artistic tradition and intellectual life across East Asia for over 1,250 years. Rooted in rigorous historical research, the film seeks to reconstruct an authentic portrait of Kūkai and his guiding ethos: purity of heart, compassion for all beings, selflessness, and boundless vows and practice. Through this lens, the documentary reflects on how his legacy continues to invite clarity, kindness, and inner illumination in contemporary life. A key element of the project's broader artistic world is the large-scale symphonic work Kūkai, composed by Chinese composer Zou Ye. Rather than a traditional film score, it is a symphonic portrait of one man's extraordinary journey, weaving a millennial epic that bridges cultures, faiths, and civilizations across time. The work has been performed internationally by world-class ensembles, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, extending the project's reach beyond cinema into the global classical music stage. The event will include a film screening and post-screening Q&A with director Yue Ye and members of the filmmaking team. Through its storytelling, KŪKAI revisits the flourishing civilization of the Tang Dynasty and the profound cultural exchange that shaped East Asia. The film highlights the openness and interconnectedness of Tang-era society and the role of cultural emissaries whose journeys helped transmit ideas, philosophy and spiritual traditions across vast distances. Among these figures, Kūkai stands as a singular bridge between civilizations. Kūkai is widely recognized as the founder of Shingon Buddhism and a key figure in the transmission of esoteric Buddhist teachings from China to Japan. After completing his studies in China, he returned with knowledge and practices that influenced religion, literature, calligraphy, architecture and education. For director Yue Ye, KŪKAI marks a transition from senior roles at China's national level media organizations where she worked as a chief reporter, senior editor and producer, into feature documentary filmmaking. The independently produced and crowdfunded film blends historical research, location-based storytelling, documentary techniques and cinematic reconstruction, incorporating visual elements to reimagine the world of ninth-century Asia. "Kūkai's journey is not only a story of faith and learning, but also one of cultural exchange, perseverance and compassion," said director Yue Ye. "Through this film, I hope audiences connect with the humanity at the center of his story and reflect on the values that continue to make his legacy meaningful today." Renowned for its rich cultural and humanistic themes, and unique artistic expression, KŪKAI has earned widespread attention and praise from audiences, critics, and