“The First Breath of Tengan Rei,” the feature film Ed M. Koziarski wrote, produced and directed with his wife Junko Kajino, will have its Chicago theatrical premiere Nov. 21, 22, 24 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
The story was inspired by the true story of a teenage Okinawan girl who was raped by U.S. Marines, part of a pattern of crimes committed by U.S. servicemen against local people around overseas bases.
Japanese star Erika (Kore-eda’s “After Life”) stars in the fictional version of the story as Rei, an Okinawan woman who kidnaps the teenage son (Katori Eason) of a U.S. Marine (Sean Nix), who was convicted of raping her when she was a girl.
Also featured is Ric Arthur, who served in the Marines in Okinawa.
