"The Sensei" is a martial arts film set to release on DVD in November 2009, starring some very dear friends in the martial arts world, in particular, Diana Lee Inosanto - daughter of Grandmaster Dan Inosanto, one of Bruce Lee's closest students.But don't watch this purely for the lineage. This is a completely new brand of self-defense that you NEED to be watching.
"The Sensei" is set in a rural town in Colorado, during the late 80's when the rise of HIV had many people in a panic about AIDS. The film focuses on McClain Evans, a young gay teen who is the subject of bullying in his town.
Karen O'Neill (played by Inosanto) is returning home to family after a five-year absence and the loss of her fiance. Initially, she is there to be close with her family, who owns a successful dojo and is very active in their town's church ministry.
When McClain is hospitalized after a brutal beating, his mother turns to Karen for help. O'Neill begins training McClain secretly, and through learning the martial ways, he learns to rise above prejudice and intolerance.
This is a film which examines the kinds of prejudices which fuel hatred, and a group of people who are able to find humanity even in their darkest hour. While most martial arts films contain poor scripts (and worse acting) which function merely as a loose excuse to string action scenes together, I feel that this film's story carries a power greater than its content.
Check it out online at:
http://www.thesenseimovie.com/
See the trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I hope you get an opportunity to watch this. Practicing tolerance and open-mindedness IS self-defense against hatred and bigotry. Rare is the film which makes this connection in the way that "The Sensei" does.
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