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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.
Original Release
05/01/1997
US Release
05/01/1997
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Susan Fukuda | Yukiko Sugihara |
| Diana Georger | Helena Rosen |
| Lawrence Craig | Nathan Rosen |
| Shizuko Hoshi | Narrator (Elderly Mrs. Sugihara) |
| Shauna Bloom | Woman |
| Jon Cellini | Brother |
| Martin Fontana | Man |
| Gibson Frazier | Cantor |
| Alan H. Friedenthal | Refugee #1 |
| Eric Gugisch | German Officer |
Directors
Writers
Chris Tashima, Tom Donaldson, Tim Toyama
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Susan Fukuda | Yukiko Sugihara |
| Diana Georger | Helena Rosen |
| Lawrence Craig | Nathan Rosen |
| Shizuko Hoshi | Narrator (Elderly Mrs. Sugihara) |
| Shauna Bloom | Woman |
| Jon Cellini | Brother |
| Martin Fontana | Man |
| Gibson Frazier | Cantor |
| Alan H. Friedenthal | Refugee #1 |
| Eric Gugisch | German Officer |
| Linda Igarashi | Setsuko |
| Jonathan Klein | Brother |
| Noel Miller | Young Man |
| Kyoko Motoyama | Elderly Yuki |
| Kimberly Mungovan | Sugihara Baby |
| Richard Nakaoka | Sugihara child #1 |
| Jack Newalu | Man at train station |
| Jimmy Paola | Student #2 |
| Patricia Penn | Refugee #2 |
| Jude Gerard Prest | Husband |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Tim Toyama | Executive Producer |
| Chris Donahue | Producer |
| Irma Escamilla | Producer |
| Gail Kaneshiro | Producer |
Editors
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1998 | Oscar | Best Short Film, Live Action | Won |
