‘Visas and Virtue’ delivers heroism in compact form

Friday, 5/23/97 ‘Visas and Virtue’ delivers heroism in compact
form FILM: Short movie tells story of Chiune Sugihara, who
disobeyed orders, saved Jews in Holocaust

By John Nein Daily Bruin Contributor Chris Tashima’s 26-minute
film, "Visas and Virtue" about Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul
general to Lithuania, chronicles an episode which, according to
Tashima, has hitherto been largely unremarked by history – a story
which needed to be told. Sugihara was a diplomat who, contrary to
his orders from Tokyo, continued to write transit visas for
thousands of Polish Jews who had fled Nazi occupation. "There are a
number of reasons why nobody knows about him, but it’s time people
knew another side of what somebody Japanese did during World War
II," Tashima says. "Visas and Virtue" differs from other accounts
of nobility and humanitarianism during the Holocaust in that its
focus is the deed of a Japanese. That was inspiring to Tashima, who
also plays the role of Sugihara. "I wouldn’t have made the film if
I wasn’t an Asian American," he says. "I’ve been an actor for at
least 12 years and there’s a definite glass ceiling for actors of
color. And I really have never had the chance to play a lead or
anyone with hero qualities. Those are few and far between. I have
not been a name. I don’t even get seen for those roles. So there’s
plenty of attachment I have to this character simply because he’s
Asian." The decision to make a short film may seem unusual. As any
seasoned producer will explain, the prospects of finding a
theatrical release for a short film in today’s market are about as
good as winning the state lottery with a bingo ticket. Aside from
festivals and the occasionally possibility of a broadcast date on
PBS, Bravo or another such outlet, short films have limited life
spans. However, after its Los Angeles premier at the Asian Pacific
Film Festival, "Visas and Virtue" will play Saturday and Sunday
mornings at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 – with the filmmakers in attendance
– and Tashima figures it is the perfect format for the story.
"Short films are definitely a way to make films," he argues. "I
don’t think I could have told Sugihara’s story as a studio picture
or anything else but a short at this point. I just don’t have
access to those kind of resources." And without a doubt, the road
to a short film is not paved with gold. In fact, as is the case
with independent filmmaking in general, it’s not paved at all. This
particular journey started in November of 1995 with Tim Toyama’s
play, of the same name, directed by Tom Donaldson at the Road
Theater in North Hollywood. Tashima, who played Sugihara in the
play as well, toyed with the idea of taping a performance or making
a small film of some scenes. "It didn’t dawn on me until after I
gave it a little more thought that it had so much potential as a
film and as something that could be supported by donors. It just
seemed like it could made without without me going bankrupt."
Tashima started to write a screen adaptation of the piece. "I
basically changed the margins of the play script and that really
was all I did almost in the first draft," he says. Finding the
nuances of a cinematic rendition took more time. "I probably went
through five or six drafts and eventually changed quite a bit as
far as the language, the blocking, the voice-over, a lot of things.
But that’s how it started." Teaming with producer Chris Donahue and
playwright Toyama, Tashima worked with many of the original cast
members (who reprised their roles) and sought out other prominent
Asian American artists to participate in production. Actress
Shizuko Hoshi ("Come See the Paradise," "Madame Butterfly") took on
the job of narrating the film as Sugihara’s wife, Yukiko, and
veteran cinematographer Hiro Narita ("The Rocketeer," "Never Cry
Wolf," "James and the Giant Peach"), who had heard of Sugihara,
agreed to shoot the film. In addition to the gently tonal black and
white images he created, Narita kept things moving. "He became
probably the key to so much of this film being what it was. He’s
also very fast and efficient. We were always ahead," Tashima says
thankfully. Donations of time and materials continued to flow in
and were indispensable to the project. The credits reveal a litany
of grateful acknowledgements. Ultimately, "Visas and Virtues"
represents that admirable category of films dubbed as being ‘made
by passion.’ According to Diana George, who plays Helena Rosen, a
Jewish refugee to whom Sugihara grants a transit visa, Tashima was
"incredibly, incredibly committed." She recalls the first day of
rehearsal to which Tashima brought an enormous binder. "Everything
you could possibly know about Sugihara and the war," she says of
the contents. "I really believe that that kind of energy has
propelled this. It’s such a labor of love, and it’s been so
inspired. It’s bizarre. The next thing is just for the group to win
the lottery." Michael Lamont Chris Tashima and Susan Fukuda as
husband and wife in "Visas and Virtue." Gayanne Fietinghoff Chris
Tashima (l.) directs his short film, "Visas and Virtues," about the
life of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who wrote visas for
Polish Jews fleeing Nazi occupation.