The PBS-aired Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness offers a thoroughly fascinating account of the great Japanese diplomat and humanitarian Chiune Sugihara, whose selfless efforts during World War II saved thousands of Jews who might otherwise have perished in the Nazi Holocaust. As Japanese consul to Lithuania, Sugihara defied Tokyo authorities by writing transit visas that were for some Jews the sole remaining hope. At the risk of his career, the safety of his family, and even his life, Sugihara tirelessly provided these crucial documents through a maze of bureaucratic loopholes and strict regulations, allowing the desperate Jews—including entire families and yeshivas (schools)—to flee Europe through Russia to Japan, and onward to safe havens such as the Dutch-held island of Curacao. Through densely informative narration, archival footage, personal documents and interviews with Sugihara's wife and other surviving members of his family, the film reveals the full impact of Sugihara's astonishing act of kindness, which he explained simply by saying, "I knew that I was defying my government, but it was the right thing to do." Today, it is estimated that over 40,000 people (descended from the Jews that Sugihara saved) owe their lives to Sugihara's exceptional heroism. And while this 82-minute documentary occasionally gets bogged down in the minutiae of wartime bureaucracy, it's effective in illustrating the complexity and potential danger of Sugihara's brave yet humble defiance of rigid Japanese policy, the overall impact is as dramatically powerful as Schindler's List, as viewers see present-day survivors paying tribute to Sugihara's wife and family, a scene that reminds us of the importance of the quote (by Edmund Burke) that opens the film: "The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Sugihara did something—something truly amazing, with no expectation of reward—and the reach of evil was indeed reduced. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)
Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness
(2005) 82 min. DVD: $19.95. WGBH Boston Video (tel: 800-949-8670, web: <a href="http://www.wgbh.org/">www.wgbh.org</a>). PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-59375-364-0. January 2, 2006
Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness
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