Gensan Punch (2022)

Interesting facts

Gensan Punch is a 2021 Philippine-Japanese sports biographical film directed by Brillante Mendoza. Starring Shogen, Ronnie Lazaro and Kaho Minami. It is based on a true story that depicts Nao Tsuyama, a disabled athlete who refuses to let his artificial leg hinder his dream to become a professional boxer. It premiered at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on October 9, 2021.

Production

Gensan Punch is an internationally co-produced film made by Center Stage Productions of the Philippines and Gentle Underground Monkeys of Japan. It was directed by Brillante Mendoza. This is Mendoza's first sports biographical film. The film was created and written by Honey Alipio. Takahiro Yamashita and Krisma Maclang Fajardo were the producers.

The film is inspired from the biography of Naozumi Tsuyama, a Japanese boxer with a prosthetic leg who went to the Philippines and became known as Gensan. Gensan is also the nickname of General Santos, a city which has produced numerous Filipino boxers including Manny Pacquiao. Tsuyama due to his disability was barred from pursuing a professional career in Japan by authorities due to safety reasons.

Mendoza had no prior knowledge of Tsuyama. The director went to Tokyo to meet Tsuyama and other Japanese boxers and also went to Okinawa, the boxer's hometown. The production team also went to the gymnasium in General Santos where Tsuyama trained and talked with the local boxers in the area as part of the production process.

Mendoza considers his work on Gensan Punch is a deviation from his previous works he has described as "alternative cinema" and considers the film as "mainstream". For Gensan Punch he said he had to tap to his previous experience in the advertising industry where the creative process is "different, if not more rigorous" and considers more about the audience when making media – in contrast to the process in making "alternate films" where the story,…

Filming took place both Japan and the Philippines. Filming locations in Japan include Okinawa and Fukuoka. Some scenes in Japan were filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic but scenes involving large crowds were taken prior to the pandemic. Working with Japanese actors, Mendoza used a "non-scripted method" and the boxing bouts had no choreography.

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