A new English-language drama, directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, tells the true story of Allen Nelson, an African American Vietnam War veteran who became a peace activist with strong ties to Japan. The film, starring Rodney Hicks and Geoffrey Rush, is set to open in Japanese theaters in September, with a potential Venice Film Festival launch. It follows Nelson's journey from his traumatic experiences in the war to his life dedicated to anti-war advocacy in Japan.
, an English-language drama based on the true story of an African American Vietnam War veteran who became a peace activist with deep ties to Japan. The film is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters in September, setting up a potential Venice Film Festival launch.
The project marks a significant departure for Tsukamoto, who wrote, directed, shot and edited the film — his first primarily English-language feature — across locations in the United States, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan. Broadway veteran Rodney Hicks, an original and closing cast member of, takes his first major screen lead as Allen Nelson, while Oscar-, Emmy- and Tony-winner Geoffrey Rush plays Dr. Daniels, a Veterans Affairs physician who intervenes in Nelson’s downward spiral. Tatyana Ali , his adaptation of Shohei Ooka’s classic novel about a Japanese soldier’s harrowing experience in the Philippines, competed in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival., set in Japan’s devastated black markets in the immediate aftermath of World War II, premiered in Venice’s Orizzonti section, where it won the NETPAC Award. Where those films examined the Japanese experience of wartime atrocity and its aftermath,shifts the lens to the American side — and specifically to what the filmmaker calls “the wounds of those who perpetrated war.”” he says. “This book, in which he poured out his crimes and the life that followed without holding anything back, has stayed with me ever since and is deeply etched in my heart.” He adds that Nelson’s story — “having spent his entire life sharing his wartime experiences” — is more essential now than ever, “in today’s world, where conflicts are raging in various places.” The film is produced and distributed in Japan by Kinoshita Group and its distribution arm Kino Films. The announcement was timed to coincide with National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29.Maer RoshanThe Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Vietnam War Peace Activism Japanese Cinema African American Venice Film Festival
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