Visas and Virtue

{{Infobox film

| name = Visas and Virtue

| image = VISASposter.jpg

| caption = One-sheet photography: Dennis Mukai

| director = Chris Tashima

| writer = Chris Tashima
Tom Donaldson
Tim Toyama (play)

| producer = Chris Donahue
Tim Toyama

| starring = Chris Tashima
Susan Fukuda
Diana Georger
Lawrence Craig

| narrator = Shizuko Hoshi

| cinematography = Hiro Narita

| editing = Irvin Paik

| music = Scott Nagatani

| studio = Cedar Grove Productions

| released = {{Film date|1997}}

| runtime = 26 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

}}

Visas and Virtue is a 1997 narrative short film directed by Chris Tashima and starring Chris Tashima, Susan Fukuda, Diana Georger and Lawrence Craig. It was inspired by the true story of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, who is known as "The Japanese Schindler". Sugihara issued over 2,000 transit visas to Polish and Lithuanian Jews from his consulate in Kaunas, Lithuania, in August 1940, in defiance of his own government (Japan), thereby allowing an estimated 6,000 individuals to escape the impending Holocaust.

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 original one-act play by Tim Toyama, which was performed at The Road Theatre Company[http://www.roadtheatre.org/mission.htm Brief History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603114341/http://www.roadtheatre.org/mission.htm |date=2008-06-03 }} 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/director Chris Tashima in 1996, and completed as a 26-minute film in 1997. The film was produced by Cedar Grove Productions with Visual Communications serving as non-profit sponsor.[http://www.vconline.org/productions/index.html productions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223025248/http://www.vconline.org/productions/index.html |date=2007-12-23 }} at [http://www.vconline.org Visual Communications site]

Visas and Virtue won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in March, 1998 (70th Academy Awards). The Oscar statuettes went to actor and director Tashima and producer Chris Donahue.[http://www.indiewire.com/biz/biz_980323_OscarWins.html 70th Oscars winners] on IndieWire

Synopsis

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 life-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

=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 Interview

Awards

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 Film Festival
Crystal Heart Award – Heartland Film Festival[https://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Heartland_Film_Festival/ Heartland Film Festival award winner history] on IMDb
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