Persona Non Grata

This extraordinary drama is based on the true story of the daring Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis. Sugihara, a world-class spy, was posted in Lithuania, gathering secret intelligence on European affairs. When Germany invaded Poland, waves of Jewish refugees fled to Lithuania. In search of transit visas, many turned to Sugihara, who, unable to obtain approval from Tokyo, ultimately took it upon himself to issues transit visas for Japan to 6,000 refugees. Persona Non Grata is long-overdue recognition of Japan’s Schindler, the only Japanese person recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli government and honored at Yad Vashem.

Q&A AJCs Asia Pacific Institute Director Shira Loewenberg and filmmaker Cellin Gluck