by InTrieste
At the Mediateca of La Cappella Underground, a local film and media center on Via Roma, a new edition of “Journey to the East” explores the world of Japanese crime cinema. Days later, in the same space, an exhibition of original comic art by Živorad “Zico” Mišić reimagines the city through a gothic, blood-tinged lens.
Together, the programs offer two distinct but complementary visions: one drawn from the codes of Japanese organized crime films, the other from the shadowy alleys of a fictionalized Trieste inhabited by vampires.
A Journey Into Yakuza Cinema
The film series, titled “Journey to the East: Yakuza Eiga,” opens on Feb. 18 and focuses on one of the most enduring genres in Japanese cinema. Yakuza eiga — films centered on members of Japan’s organized crime syndicates — combine stylized violence, action and morally conflicted protagonists. Over decades, the genre has evolved from chivalric tales of postwar loyalty to bleaker, more psychologically complex narratives.
The Trieste program was conceived by La Cappella Underground in collaboration with three scholars of Japanese culture: Eugenio De Angelis, who teaches Japanese language and literature at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and has written extensively on Japanese film; Marco Marattin, a specialist in Japanese studies whose academic work examined yakuza films; and Jacopo Bortolussi, who researched Japanese student movements of the 1960s at Birkbeck, University of London.
The series unfolds over four dates: three free screenings at the Mediateca in February, March and April — with film titles revealed shortly before each event — and a closing double program on May 5 at the Cinema Ariston in Trieste.
The finale centers on Ryuji (1983), directed by Toru Kawashima. Considered a cult classic, the film follows a mid-level yakuza attempting to leave behind a life of crime in pursuit of domestic stability, only to confront isolation and disillusionment. The screening will be presented in the original Japanese with Italian subtitles.
Earlier that evening, the organizers will host “Onorevole Sakè,” a ticketed tasting and discussion dedicated to Japan’s traditional rice wine. The event, led by sake sommelier Giovanna Coen, aims to situate the beverage within its historical and ritual context, offering participants a sensory introduction to Japanese culture alongside the cinematic program.
A City in Blood-Red Panels
If the film series looks eastward, the exhibition “Trieste Rosso Sangue” turns inward, refracting the city itself through a noir-horror prism.
Opening Feb. 20 in the presence of the artist, the show presents original plates from Mišić’s comic series of the same name. Born in Serbia in 1961 and based in Trieste since 1989, Mišić is known locally and beyond as a poet, painter and comic book writer who moves fluidly between genres.
In “Trieste Rosso Sangue” (“Trieste Blood Red”), published largely by Hammerle Editori, Mišić transforms the northeastern port city into a stage for dark chronicles and urban legends. The narrative follows two vampires, Isy and Roby, who wander through Trieste’s streets, rendering the city not merely a backdrop but a silent, brooding protagonist.
The exhibition highlights the creative process behind the series, from preliminary sketches to finished illustrations. During the opening, Mišić is expected to discuss his approach to storytelling and the broader tradition of graphic narrative — often referred to in Italy as the “ninth art.”
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Mišić has published more than 25 volumes, including “Detective Eusebio. Trappola a Trieste,” “Nico, memorie di Trieste,” and historical works such as “Fratelli in armi” and “Ultimi fuochi.” Alongside his artistic practice, he works as an educator and continues to explore new forms of visual storytelling.
Between East and Adriatic
Though distinct in origin, the two programs share an interest in moral ambiguity, atmosphere and the interplay between violence and identity. The yakuza films examine codes of honor and betrayal within Japanese society; Mišić’s comics probe the myths and shadows of a Central European port city long suspended between cultures.
For Trieste — once a Habsburg seaport and today a crossroads at Italy’s northeastern edge — such themes resonate. In the coming weeks, audiences will have the opportunity to see the city reframed: through the disciplined lens of Japanese genre cinema, and through panels washed in red, where fiction and folklore blur.
