The audience in Lithuania will be the first in the world to see the film, two months ahead of Japan, as the Tokyo premiere is set in December. The movie will be shown in the original language (Japanese and English) with Lithuanian subtitles. The screening is free of charge.
Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese Vice-Consul in Lithuania who lived in Kaunas during the period of 1939–1940. While residing there, he saved thousands of Jews by issuing exit visas to Japan, which allowed them to flee from the Holocaust and the Nazi occupation. Currently his former residence in Kaunas is known as the Sugihara House, a historical building and museum.
Persona Non Grata is directed by American filmmaker Cellin Gluck and features an international cast composed of Japanese, Polish, French and Russian actors. Chiune Sugihara is played by Japanese actor Toshiaki Karasawa, while his wife is portrayed by Koyuki, who is known mainly for the lead female role in The Last Samurai. The film spans a period of over 20 years from the 1930s until the 1950s in Europe, Asia and North America. It was filmed entirely in Poland, mainly with Polish crew.
The makers of Persona Non Grata visited Lithuania on 16 September, looking for an appropriate place for the world premiere. With the help from the VMU Centre for Asian Studies, they considered a number of various locations before eventually choosing the Romuva movie theatre in Kaunas. This is the oldest operating cinema in Lithuania, which opened its doors to the public in 1939, when Sugihara lived in Kaunas. The film's makers were impressed by the cozy, authentic atmosphere of the theatre and the helpfulness of the staff of the Centre for Asian Studies and the students who will also be coordinating the event.
The premiere is organized with the help from the VMU Centre for Asian Studies, the Sugihara Foundation – Diplomats for Life, Kaunas City Municipality, the Japanese Embassy in Lithuania, and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan.
