Set in the autumn of 1941 in Salty Creek, a fishing village in South Carolina, the film tells the dramatic story of interracial lovers swept up in the tides of history. As World War II rages in Europe a wounded stranger, Mr. Ohta, appears in the town under mysterious circumstances. Sophie, a native of Salty Creek, quickly becomes transfixed by Mr. Ohta and a friendship born of their mutual love of art blossoms into a delicate and forbidden courtship. As their secret relationship evolves the war escalates tragically. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, a surge of misguided patriotism, bigotry and violence sweeps through the town, threatening Mr. Ohta’s life. A trio of women, each with her own secrets – Sophie, along with the town matriarch and her housekeeper – rejects law and propriety, risking their lives to save him.
“Gentle-hearted romantic drama that succeeds most winningly as a study of resilient female fellowship.”
– Guy Lodge, Variety
Variety – Sundance Film Review: ‘Sophie and the Rising Sun’
Sundance Film Festival, USA, January 2016
Filmfest Munich, Germany, June 2016
Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil, October 2016
Stockholm International Film Festival, Sweden, November 2016