‘Gensan Punch’ Star Shogen on his Journey From Okinawa and the Changing Possibilities in Japanese Film

Okinawa-born actor Shogen used to be told that he didn’t look Japanese enough for the Japanese film industry. Now he is not only one of the most in-demand rising stars, he is also the instigator, co-producer and star of triumph over-adversity movie “Gensan Punch” which has just premiered at the Busan and Tokyo film festivals and has been picked up for HBO. Directed by Brillante Mendoza (“Kinatay,” “Alpha: The Right to Kill”) the fact-based tale sees Tsuchiyama Naozumi, a Okinawan man with a prosthetic leg, relocate to The Philippines to become a professional boxer, after being repeatedly blocked in his… Read Full Article