The Sensei (2008)

In 1985 Colorado, a long-absent woman, proficient as a black belt in martial arts, returns home where she agrees, secretly, to train a bullied gay teen.

Director:

Diana Lee Inosanto

Writer:

Diana Lee Inosanto

Stars:

Diana Lee Inosanto, Keith David, Melissa Taylor

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diana Lee Inosanto	...	Karen O'Neil (as D. Lee Inosanto)
Keith David	...	The Minister
Melissa Taylor	...	Lorna
Shane Weingardt	...	Attacker #1
Mark Anthony Griffin	...	Attacker #2 (as Mark Griffin)
Ryan J. Parker	...	Attacker #3 (as Ryan Parker)
Michael O'Laskey II	...	McClain Evans (as Mike O'Laskey)
Ayo Fadeyi	...	Policeman #1 (as Ayodeji Fadeyi)
Curtis Magee-Ortiz	...	Policeman #2
Jeff Liu	...	Matthew
Danny Lopez	...	Picture of Tim
Kerry Knuppe	...	Brenda
Jonathan Camp	...	Craig Beard
John Campbell	...	John
Ben Perkins	...	Buck

Storyline

After punks at school hand him multiple savage beatings, gay teen McClain Evans, discreetly begins martial arts training with Karen O'Neil, a mysterious woman who had her own cross to bear with the prejudiced and bigoted small town community. As McClain learns to defend himself from hatred and bigotry, the student and his teacher expose several raw nerves in their rural Colorado community.

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Plot Keywords:

gay | martial arts | colorado | teacher | teen | 

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Taglines:

You have the right to defend yourself against hatred, and self hatred!

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MySpace site Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heitmann Entertainment, Zen Mountain

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

ON SCREEN: "Of the 1,185,000 Americans living with HIV/AIDS, 24-27% are unaware of their HIV infection. More than one quarter of the 44,000 new infections each year are women, as the disease today is transmitted primarily through heterosexual sex."

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Goofs

BNSF locomotives are seen in a sequence set in 1985. This railroad was formed by a merger that took place in 1996.

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Quotes

Rick Beard: Man, these queers, they got so many rights. More than you and me, I'll bet.

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Connections

References Kung Fu (1972)

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Soundtracks

"Whisper Without Warning"
Written & Performed by SANCTION

User Reviews

Great Film

I highly recommend The Sensei. I was afraid at first that it would be a cheesy Karate Kid with a gay kid as the lead, but it was so much more than that. The movie dealt with many levels of prejudice, including sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, and HIV. It was touching while sending a powerful message. The depiction of the victimization endured by the lead character was realistic and horrific. Some parts of the film weren't quite as polished and smooth as a major production movie, but it is an independent film. For anyone who has dealt with any sort of prejudice or hatred, this is a movie that will make you feel strong and hopeful. For anyone who doesn't understand what GLBT youth have endured, be it 20 years ago or today, this is a movie that will open your eyes.