Un samouraï au Vatican
90 mins
Why do 600 inhabitants of the small southern Spanish town of Coria del Río bear the surname "Japón"? It is the legacy of an unusual expedition that took place 400 years ago: In October 1613, the samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga boarded the galleon "San Juan Bautista" on behalf of the ruler Date Masamune in Sendai, Japan. In addition to merchants, warriors and Spanish sailors, the Spanish Franciscan monk Luis Sotelo, who spoke fluent Japanese, also embarked. The legation wanted to obtain permission from the Spanish King Philip III and Pope Paul V to open a new sea route to India alongside the spice route; in return, Christian missionaries were to be sent to Japan. When he set off, Hasekura Tsunenaga had no idea that the journey would take seven years. Who was this Japanese samurai? What is known about his motives and what is known about the actual background to the expedition?
Flore Kosinetz
Scenario Writer
Stéphane Bégoin
Scenario Writer
Stéphane Bégoin
Director
Gilles Perru
Editor
Renaud Barbier
Original Music Composer
Virginie Guibbaud
Producer
Laurence Guérault
First Assistant Director
Jerónimo Rodríguez
Camera Operator
Emilie Aujé
Camera Operator
Alexandre Abrard
Sound
Atsushi Masai
Sound
Olivier Arnold
Drone Operator
Cyril Zarebski
Drone Operator
Thomas Retif
Assistant Director
Keita Wada
Camera Operator
José Luis Herrera
Gaffer
Laura Samyn
Decorator
Carmina Estrella
Assistant Decorator
Jonathan Garcia
Assistant Decorator
Juan Barrera
Assistant Decorator
Augustín Angeles
Assistant Decorator
Ivan Barrera
Assistant Decorator
Rodolfo Cruz
Assistant Costume Designer
Yolanda Martínez
Assistant Costume Designer
Mayra Gabriela Juárez
Assistant Costume Designer
Crescencio Hernández
Costume Designer
Ara Rubio
Costume Designer
Masamitsu Watanabe
Costume Designer
Younosuke Watanabe
Costume Designer
Marion Tivital
Painter
Eliette Daudet
Painter
Megumi Tatsumi
Makeup & Hair
Junko Osada
Makeup & Hair
Brenda Castro
Makeup & Hair
Gabríela Vargas Gómez
Makeup & Hair Assistant
Abigail Alejo
Makeup & Hair Assistant
Andrea Torres
Extras Casting
Erick de Jesús Nava Hernández
Catering
Gustavo Angel
Producer
Emilio Maillé
Producer
Daniela Leyva
Production Director
Natalia Bakuza Gui Holguin
Production Executive
Nicolás Gauta
Production Executive
Anne Le Grevès
Production Director
Fanny Carella
Production Assistant
Maëva Barret
Production Assistant
Florian Chomienne
Assistant Editor
Adrien Navez
Sound Editor
Mathieu Nappez
Music
Jean Pierre Morel
Musician
Emmanuelle Dautry
Musician
Pierre François Dufour
Musician
Renaud Barbier
Musician
Michel Denis
VFX Editor
Malo Vandercruyssen
Art Direction
Thomas Govaerts
Animation
Benjamin Dewalque
Color Grading
Pierre Gillet
Mixing Engineer
Bruno Abate
Post Production Producer
Yoshiharu Koyama
Producer
Yuri Sudo
Producer
Daitki Yokota
Director
Mari Mukai
Production Director
Tomohito Goshozono
Production Director
Carmel Gherbi
Post Production Accountant
Nicolas Portes
Administration