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SYNOPSIS
THE SENSEI takes place during the rise of HIV and the AIDS panic it stirred in communities in the 1980's and early 90's. Set in 1985, in the plains of Colorado, McClain Evans (Mike O' Laskey, "Three Ninjas at Mega Mountain") , a young gay teen is constantly the target of hate and bullying in his provincial town.
Returning after a five-year absence is Karen O'Neil (D. Lee Inosanto, "The Prodigy"), a woman haunted by the death of fiance, pro boxer Mark Corey (Louis Mandylor, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). On the surface, we believe Karen is there only to reconnect with her family, owners of a successful martial arts business, and active members of their church ministry.
When McClain is hospitalized after a near fatal beating by three local teens, who are then released on bail, Annie (McClain's outraged mother) asks Karen to secretly teach her son to defend himself.
Unbeknownst to her family, and fearful of small town retaliation, Karen agrees to secretly teach McClain, training him at night to protect them both. Through the martial ways, McClain learns to rise above ignorance and prejudice, and his newfound confidence causes him to intercede when a classmate is being bullied.
After the public confrontation, Karen's role as his teacher is revealed. This rocks the small, rural community to the core, particularly when the controversy unmasks Karen's past with Mark Corey.
Reminiscently told in conversation between the young man, McClain and a Minister (Emmy Award Winner, Keith David "Crash"), THE SENSEI is an examination of the prejudices that allow hatred to continue, and the people that find their own humanity in their darkest hour.

AsianWeek
If there's one thing D. Lee Inosanto is no stranger to, it's martial arts. Her father is martial arts legend Dan Inosanto, her godfather was the late Bruce Lee (whom she refers to simply as "Uncle Bruce"), and Inosanto herself is a highly trained martial artist who has worked as a stunt person on projects from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Face/Off.
So when Inosanto decided to write, direct and star in her first feature film, it made sense that it would take place in the world she knows so well. But what might catch people off guard is the story she chose to tell.
Inosanto's feature, The Sensei, is set in a small Colorado town in 1985, the early years of the AIDS epidemic. McClain (played by Mike O'Laskey) is a gay teenager who is constantly being ostracized. He tries to sign up for classes at the local martial arts dojo to learn to protect himself, but they won't accept him either. Enter Karen (D. Lee Inosanto), the black sheep of the family that runs the dojo who returns to the town after several years away. Karen privately trains McClain, and the two develop a friendship until a secret Karen harbors changes everything.
Tackling issues like AIDS and homophobia in a martial arts setting may seem odd, but it made perfect sense to Inosanto. The inspiration came from a family friend named Gilbert Johnson who was an editor/ publisher of martial arts subjects.
"He was the first person I knew to contract AIDS," Inosanto said. "He was a straight man, a very conservative man - the last person you would expect to get AIDS. But in his final months, he became an activist - marching alongside the gay community. He was one of my favorite people."
By the mid-'90s, AIDS had impacted major sports figures like Magic Johnson. Inosanto's own cousin came out around this time as a lesbian, and Matthew Shepherd was killed in a high-profile hate crime. All inspired Inosanto to write The Sensei.
"Being a child of a mixed marriage instilled in me the idea that any type of prejudice is wrong," she said. "That was the drive behind the film."
Shot on a low budget, the project faced many hurdles on the way to the big screen. The school where the shooting was originally to take place pulled its support after realizing the lead character was a gay teen (making news nationwide when the Associated Press picked up the story), and one of the main funders pulled out after the controversy broke.
Another possible problem was the martial arts community's conservatism and its sometimes blatant homophobia. The Sensei's trailer was first screened in public at a large martial arts convention in Las Vegas where Chuck Norris' birthday was being celebrated. Inosanto worried how the trailer might be accepted, but was surprised by the reaction.
"So many people came up to me afterward and said "thank you,'" Inosanto said.
Since then, she has received similar reactions. Many of the strongest supporters are martial artists who are gay but in the closet, or others who cannot openly take a stance.
"This one guy in Alaska said his black belt would be stripped away if he took in a gay student," she said. "Even with all the progress, it's clear we still have a long way to go."
The Sensei makes its world premiere at the 24th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival running through May 8. The Sensei screens on May 4 at 4 p.m. at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood. For more info: vconline.org.

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