Visas and Virtue (1997)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Chris Tashima

Writers:

Tom Donaldson (writer)
Chris Tashima (writer)

Genre:

Short

Tagline:

A short film inspired by the true story of Chiune Sugihara

Plot:

Europe, 1940. For thousands of Jews, a Japanese diplomat and his wife defy Tokyo and the Nazis, and offer visas, for life.

Plot Keywords:

Holocaust | Asian American | Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chris Tashima	...	Chiune 'Sempo' Sugihara
Susan Fukuda	...	Yukiko Sugihara
Diana Georger	...	Helena Rosen
Lawrence Craig	...	Nathan Rosen
Shizuko Hoshi	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shauna Bloom	...	Woman
Jon Cellini	...	Brother
Martin Fontana	...	Man
Gibson Frazier	...	Cantor
Alan H. Friedenthal	...	Refugee #1
Linda Igarashi	...	Setsuko
Jonathan Klein	...	Brother
Noel Miller	...	Young Man
Kyoko Motoyama	...	Elderly Yuki
Richard Nakaoka	...	Sugihara child #1
Jack Newalu	...	Man at train station
Jimmy Paola	...	Student #2
Patricia Penn	...	Refugee #2
Jude Gerard Prest	...	Husband
Maria Stanton	...	Wife
Pamela Tretter	...	Mother
Colm Wood	...	Student #1
Mitsushi Yamaguchi	...	Elderly Sempo

Runtime:

26 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:Unrated

Company:

Cedar Grove Productions

Get out your handkerchiefs when you see this excellent film.

If you get a chance to see this film, grab it!

I saw "Visas and Virtue" the week after it won the Academy Award for best live action short, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house by the time it ended. With good reason: In telling the story of the Japanese consul in Lithuania who, against the orders of his government and at great personal risk, continued to grant transit visas to Jews fleeing Hitler, the film makers touch several deep places; it is difficult to resist the emotional pull of the themes they explore.

Beautifully shot, mostly in black and white, the story is told both richly and economically. Crammed into about half an hour are such story threads as how the consul and his wife carefully arrange the interviews so that the rules are technically followed, how the stress of both the external crisis of war and refugees and the internal one of personal honor and loyalty and right action affects their family, and the desperation and gratitude of the people who are helped and who, unexpectedly, can help him.

It's a great shame that a short film like this won't be seen by the large audience it deserves.