I have no doubt that his story will touch your heart as indelibly as it did mine. How ordinary japanese citizens helped jewish refugees in wwii. Sugiharas deeds took place not in asia but on the other side of the world, in kaunas kovno, lithuania. Chiune sugihara 19001986, a japanese diplomat, risked his job and reputation in order to save thousands of people. A museum based on the life of chiune sugihara 1900. Chiune sugihara bio, facts, family famous birthdays. Learn how to pronounce chiune sugihara and more about the chiune sugihara word at. If this is the first time youve ever heard of chiune sugihara, then dont worry, hes a littleknown japanese diplomat with a big story. Chiune sugihara, and his wife yukiko, are honored as righteous gentiles for their efforts to save jews during the holocaust in the course of human existence, many people are tested. The mildmannered and humble chiune sugihara became. In the film, the rescuers, sylvia smoller, whose life was saved by sugihara, reflects on the diplomats actions.
I really think he was a very decent man and he didnt spring into being a decent man fullblown, like venus from the half shell in botticellis painting. Tells the story of chiune sugihara and the transit visas he issued that allowed hundreds of jewish families to flee europe through russia to japan and other countries. In persona non grata the heros halo must remain untarnished and the brighter it glows, the deeper the movie sinks into treacle, with no exit visa in sight. Haawk publishing, and 8 music rights societies song. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Movies based on real life, japanese movies, dramas. Persona non grata is a 2015 japanese biographical drama film directed by cellin gluck. We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your email. These people were chiune and yukiko sugihara who, at the beginning of world war ii, by an ultimate act of altruism and selfsacrifice, risked their careers, their livelihood and their future to save the lives of more than 6,000 jews. A movie about sugihara, titled persona non grata, premiered in the united states on january 31, 2015, during the atlanta jewish films festival. Born in january 1900 in the small japanese town of yaotsu, chiune was an excellent scholar. Directed by japaneseamerican director cellin gluck, it is a biographical film in japanese based on the reallife heroic actions of sugihara.
But in 1968, a survivor who had become an israeli diplomat, joshua nishri, finally made contact. In november 1939, chiune sempo sugihara, a japanese career diplomat, was sent to kovno kaunas, then the capital of lithuania, to serve as japans consul. The film was shot in poland where most of the jewish refugees whose lives he saved had escaped from to lithuania. In lithuania he and his partner, pesh, gather intelligence on european affairs. Sugihara defied his own country and wrote over 2,000 visas to allow jews to be saved from certain death. After getting barred from russia, a japanese diplomat used his position to issue thousands of visas to jewish refugees, saving countless lives. Sugihara conspiracy of kindness this is an amazing story of how one mans actions saved the lives of thousands of people during the holocaust. Chiune sugihara is not a name that immediately springs to mind when thinking of japanese second world war heroes, but his story is remarkable. The film had such an impact on me that, for the next few weeks, all i could think and talk about was sugihara. Subscribe to our channel so you never miss a video. Chiune sugihara simple english wikipedia, the free. Chiune risked his own safety and career to save the lives of thousands. Museum devoted to visas for life diplomat chiune sugihara to open in tokyo. Seeking support for sugihara film a fundraising campaign has been set up to assist the first stage of script development for a new film chronicling the life of righteous among the nations hero, chiune sugihara.
The museum exhibits documents brought from japanese archives. Japanese diplomat chiune sugihara set about saving thousands of lives. Chiune sugihara united states holocaust memorial museum. Glicks film yet to be fully releasedsee below recreates the life and times of obscure japanese diplomat, sugihara chiune, who turned into a worldclass. After its world premiere in lithuania in october 2015, a new film about japanese diplomat chiune sugihara, persona non grata, made its u. Chiune sugihara, a japanese diplomat serving as consul in kaunas, lithuania during world war ii, he helped rescue some 6,000 desperate jewish refugees fleeing annihilation by the nazis by defying his own government and issuing transit visas through japan. The movies name is persona non grata japanese movie title. Chiune sugihara 1 january 1900 31 july 1986 was a japanese diplomat, serving as vice consul for the japanese empire in lithuania. He saved thousands of jews during the second world war. As part of his job, he was to monitor the maneuvers of the german army across the border, so that japanese headquarters would know in advance of the anticipated german attack on the soviet. Trailer persona non grata the chiune sugihara story youtube.
The educational use of film and television documentary. He pointed out that while schindler saved the lives of people he knew, who worked in his own factory, sugihara went above and beyond to rescue thousands hed never seen. New film about chiune sugihara, the japanese schindler. During the second world war, sugihara helped about 6,000 jews flee europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through japanese territory, risking his job and the lives of his family. Holocaust rescue story by japanese diplomat chiune sugihara. Persona non grata the chiune sugihara story youtube. But his struggle was not fought on the battlefields or in war rooms. Persona non grata chiune sugihara beyond calligraphy. But his struggle was not fought on the battlefields or. In search of transit visas, they turn to sugihara who is torn between his loyalty to his country and his loyalty to mankind. Chiune sugihara, who worked odd jobs after returning to japan and later was employed by a trading company in russia, worked in obscurity and never spoke of the visas.
He arranged for the safe passage of jews from lithuania. About chiune sugiharathe chiune sugihara memorial hall. This film tells the previously unknown story of chiune sugihara, a japanese diplomat sometimes called. Chiune sugihara risked his life to help thousands of jews flee europe by issuing transit visas. The film was specially animated for television stations in japan and around the world. Sugihara chiune persona non grata 2015 rotten tomatoes. In the face of the nazi onslaught, japanese diplomat chiune sugihara set about saving thousands of lives. Chiune sugihara, sugihara chiune, 1 january 1900 31 july 1986 was a japanese diplomat who served as viceconsul for the japanese empire in kaunas, lithuania.
Chiune sugihara, sugihara chiune, 1 january 1900 31 july 1986 was a japanese diplomat. In november 1939, chiunesempo sugihara, a japanese career diplomat, was sent to kovno kaunas, then the capital of lithuania, to serve as japans consul. In march 1939, japanese consulgeneral chiune sugihara was sent to kaunas to open a consulate service. Father changes jobs thereafter, resulting in his living in mie prefecture and nagoya city. There, as viceconsul of imperial japan and during a period of less than one month during the summer of 1940, he defied direct orders and enabled an estimated 6,000 jews. He never knew if anything came of them and survivors had no luck finding him. Japanese schindler who saved 6,000 lives during world. Harbin diplomat period 19391940 his potential abilities were recognized in harbin and he began his promising career as a diplomat there. In 1985, israel named him to the righteous among the nations for his actions.
Gluck, the films director, told nippon that his goal wasnt to portray sugihara as a largerthanlife figure, but to show how ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Even at 5 years old, hiroki sugihara had his priorities straight. Chiune sugihara was a diplomat who issued visas for jewish refugees, saving 6000 lives in the early years of world war ii. As wwii begins and germany invades poland, hordes of jewish refugees flee to lithuania. This remarkable documentary chronicles the life of sugihara and the littleknown relationship. Graduates from the fifth junior high school in aichi prefecture. Against his countrys orders, a japanese diplomat in lithuania issues visas to jewish refugees, saving over 6,000 lives at the. Chiune sempo sugihara january 1, 1900 july 31, 1986. Reflections on sugiharas motives facing history and. Glicks film yet to be fully releasedsee below recreates the life and times of obscure japanese diplomat, sugihara chiune, who turned into a worldclass humanitarian all but forgotten in the fog of history or, more likely, the smog of politically rewritten historyuntil now. Only a few soar as eagles and achieve greatness by simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and humanity. The elusive japanese diplomat who risked his life to rescue 10, 000 jews from the holocaust levine, hillel on.
It was july 1940, and panicked jews were frantically crowding the streets near the familys home in lithuania, where hirokis father, chiune sugihara, served as japans consul general. Following the man sometimes called the schindler of japan, this film details the life of chiune sugihara, a diplomat and intelligence agent for the empire of japan in the years leading up to and spanning the second world war. This is a short documentary film about chiune sugihara, a japanese diplomat who saved thousands of jewish people in wwii, and some of the sugihara survivors, who he helped save. At about that time, hitler had risen to power as the nazi dictator in europe and was endangering the lives of the jewish people. Chiune sugihara timelineabout chiune sugiharathe chiune.
Chiune sugihara is a japanese diplomat posted in lithuania. He served as viceconsul for the empire of japan in lithuania during world war ii. This selfless act resulted in the second largest number of jews rescued from the nazis. The film shows a japanese writer, akira kitade, trying to trace the identities of some of the survivors. Story of japans schindler shows how one can make a difference. The heroism of chiune sugihara saved countless jews from. Includes home movies, photographs, film footage, and interviews with holocaust survivors who owe their lives to chiune sugihara. In the case of chiune sugihara, now a famous japanese diplomatic figure in world war ii history, it will be seen that his role as an agent of saving.
Chiune sugihara, japan diplomat who saved 6,000 jews. Sensitize students to matters of emotional intelligence social awareness to the plight of the other. Sugihara chiune official trailer 28 april 2016 youtube. Companion web site to the pbs documentary sugihara. Persona non grata the chiune sugihara story on vimeo. In the sugihara house, visitors are presented with an uptodate audiovisual exposition in the hisctorical rooms of the former consulate. Licensed to youtube by haawk for a 3rd party on behalf of trailer beast music bmi 75%, jefandyo music ascap 25%. A man of great moral character, chiune sugihara was moved by compassion after witnessing the dire needs of the jewish population during world war ii. Conspiracy of kindness, with an interactive timeline examining sugiharas travels and key historical events that influenced his life. Chris tashima and chris donahue made a film about sugihara in 1997, entitling it visas and virtue, which won the academy award for live action short film. Seeking support for sugihara film the australian jewish news. Japans largest film company, nippon animation, is producing an animated film on chiune sugihara. With the help of modern technology, we present unique moments of chiune sugiharas life, stories of those who were rescued by him. It depicts the life of japanese diplomat chiune sugihara who was appointed.
1161 680 1305 427 926 442 1415 67 1320 938 1052 754 667 1010 942 1317 1353 1519 1498 1029 815 547 1327 1044 95 192 1448 1064 206 761 934 74 1095 31 1403 599 1234 106 53 1120 587 317 373 1320 891 929 29