Persona Non Grata (2003 film)

Persona Non Grata is a 2003 Japanese drama film directed by Cellin Gluck. The film stars Yutaka Takenouchi as Kosuke Senda, a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuania during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The film portrays Senda's efforts to assist Jewish refugees, particularly those escaping persecution in the Soviet Union, as they attempt to emigrate to Israel. He provides them with transit visas, enabling them to travel through Lithuania and onward to their destination. These actions, undertaken without official authorization, put him at odds with his superiors and expose him to personal risk.

Persona Non Grata explores themes of personal responsibility, bureaucratic obstacles, and the human cost of political upheaval. It depicts the moral complexities faced by individuals within a complex geopolitical landscape and highlights the courage required to act according to one's conscience. The film takes its title from the Latin phrase meaning "an unwelcome person," a phrase often used in diplomacy to signify an individual who is no longer welcome in a particular country. In the context of the film, it reflects the precarious position of both the refugees and the diplomat attempting to aid them.