Professor David Peimer
Kurosawa’s Masterpiece: The Seven Samurai (and The Magnificent Seven)
Summary
Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Everyone knows his renowned movie Rashomon (1950). The Seven Samurai (1954) is an epic adventure classic and regarded as one of the most influential films ever made for its insights into human nature. In this lecture we examine what makes the film so great. What is the interplay between fear and courage? Deep down, do we appease rather than rise and take on those who dominate us?
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.