- Visas and Virtue
Infobox Film
name = Visas and Virtue
caption = One-sheet photography: Dennis Mukai
director =Chris Tashima
producer =Chris Donahue
executive producer =Tim Toyama
writer =Chris Tashima &Tom Donaldson Based on the play byTim Toyama
starring =Chris Tashima Susan FukudaDiana Georger
Lawrence Craig
narrator =Shizuko Hoshi
music =Scott Nagatani
cinematography =Hiro Narita , A.S.C.
editing =Irvin Paik
production company =Cedar Grove Productions
released = 1997
runtime = 26 min.
country = USA
language = English
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0141963"Visas and Virtue" (1997) is a narrative
short film inspired by the true story ofHolocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, who is known as "The Japanese Schindler". Sugihara issued over 2,000transit visa s to Polish andLithuanian Jews from his consulate inKaunas ,Lithuania , in August 1940, in defiance of his own government (Japan), thereby allowing an estimated 6,000 individuals to escape the impendingHolocaust .Background
This film is a dramatization (
docu-drama ) [ [http://www.spike.com/video/1096620 Visas and Virtue - SPIKE Powered By IFILM ] ] and contains fictional characters and events. It is not a documentary. It is based on an originalone-act play byTim Toyama , which was performed at The Road Theatre Company [ [http://www.roadtheatre.org/mission.htm Brief History] on [http://www.roadtheatre.org Road Theatre site] ] in Los Angeles in 1995. [ [http://www.csun.edu/~hfoao102/@csun.edu/csun97_98/csun0511_98/features/academy.html "Visas and Virtue" in CSUN newsletter; Vol. II, No. 16 - 5/11/99] ] The play was then adapted by actor/directorChris Tashima in 1996, and completed as a 26-minute film in 1997. The film was produced byCedar Grove Productions with Visual Communications serving as non-profit sponsor. [ [http://www.vconline.org/productions/index.html productions] at [http://www.vconline.org Visual Commumications site] ]"Visas and Virtue" won the
Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in March, 1998 (70th Academy Awards ). The Oscar statuettes went to actor and director Tashima and producerChris Donahue . [http://www.indiewire.com/biz/biz_980323_OscarWins.html 70th Oscars winners] onIndieWire ]ynopsis
Haunted by the sight of hundreds of Jewish refugees outside the consulate gates, a Japanese diplomat and his wife, stationed in Kaunas, Lithuania, at the beginning of World War II, must decide how much they are willing to risk. Inspired by a true story, "Visas and Virtue" explores the moral and professional dilemmas that Consul General Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara faces in making a life or death decision: defy his own government’s direct orders and risk his career, by issuing live-saving transit visas, or obey orders and turn his back on humanity.
Cast
* Chris Tashima as Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara
* Susan Fukuda as Yukiko Sugihara
*Diana Georger as Helena Rosen
* Lawrence Craig as Nathan Rosen
*Shizuko Hoshi as Narrator(In order of appearance)
"Japan, 1985"
* Mitsushi Yamaguchi as Elderly Sempo
* Kyoko Motoyama as Elderly Yuki"Lithuania, 1940
* Colm Wood as Student #1
* Eric Gugisch as German Officer
* Alan H. Friedenthal as Refugee #1
* Patricia Penn as Refugee #2
* Richard Nakaoka, Weston Yanagihara as Sugihara Children
* Linda Igarashi as Setsuko
* Jimmy Paola as Student #2
* Kimberly Mungovan as Sugihara Baby"Refugees at Interviews"
* Martin Fontana as Man
* Noel Miller as Young Man
* David Russ as Elderly Man
* Maria Stanton as Wife
* Jude Gerard Prest as Husband
* Shauna Bloom as Woman
* Gibson Frazier as Cantor
* Jon Cellini, Jonathan Klein as Brothers
* Pamela Tretter as Mother
* Jack Newalu as Man at Train Station"Special Appearance"
* Hanni Vogelweid as Elderly Woman at InterviewAwards
(partial list)
*Academy Award for Live Action Short Film – 70th Academy Awards
*1st Place: Fiction Prize – USA Film Festival/Dallas
*"Francisco Garcia de Paso" Award – Huesca International Short Film Contest
*Crystal Heart Award –Heartland Film Festival [ [http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Heartland_Film_Festival/ Heartland Film Festival award winner history] onIMDb ]
*CINE Golden Eagle [ [http://www.cine.org/directories/1997-CINE-Winner-Directory.pdf 1997 CINE winner list] ]
*Special Jury Prize – Competition for Films and Videos on Japan
*"Adriano Morais" Award – Algarve International Film Festival
*Golden Shoestring Award –Rochester International Film Festival
*Best Short Film –Sonoma Valley Film Festival References
External links
*
* [http://www.ifilm.com/video/1096620 "Visas and Virtue"] onifilm
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.