Takeshi Fukunaga’s Latest Film is Out of His Hands and …

out of my hand (poster)

*”Out of My Hand” is coming to theaters soon  (Nov. 13, 2015). The fictional docu-styled film is an astonishing story of an immigrant escaping the rubber plantations of Liberia and risking everything to start a life in Brooklyn as a yellow cab driver. Takeshi Fukunaga is the man who brought this story to life.

Takeshi is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Japan, he first came to the United States to study and has remained ever since. Fukunaga has been involved in smaller projects and worked as an editor to continue working in his passion. He brings that passion to his films.

For his first feature project he knew he wanted to showcase the lives of everyday people that make things happen like immigrants and taxicab drivers. He began dreaming up ideas and in the spring of 2013 he traveled to Liberia to shoot part of his first narrative film, which would later be known as “Out of My Hand (OHM).” It was then that Takeshi met cinematographer and friend Ryo Murakami.

“I saw the footage of the plantation workers, I was very struck by it,” Fukunaga said of Ryo’s footage of the life of plantation workers in Liberia.

He said it was “How they maintained strength and dignity despite severe work conditions” that pierced him deeply. “There are always people behind what we use everyday, what we encounter on a day to day basis.”

The title “Out of My Hand” has various meanings including the saying “it is out of my hands” or beyond my control. This relates to the plantation workers, resonates with the main character in OHM and even the director. As he tragically lost his friend Murakami, who died after he contracted malaria on their shoot, things were out of his hands, but he changed that around by preserving Ryo’s memory. With the help of his producing partner Donari Braxton, Takeshi finished the film despite the odds.

The film caught the attention of director and founder of ARRAY Ava DuVernay and the partnership fell into place.

“She saw it at the North American premiere at the LA Film Festival and they loved it. They reached out to us,” Fukunaga recalls, “It was really exciting to work with them.”

takeshi fukunaga

Takshi Fukunaga has gained support and awards from Berlinale Talents, National Board of Review, and Independent Filmmaker Project.

Out of My Hand has been included as part of “American Independents in Berlin” presented by IFP and Sundance Institute at the European Film Market and will be making its’ debut at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles and IFC Center in New York on November 13, 2015. For more dates and locations visit https://www.arraynow.com/out-of-my-hand/.

* Ryo Murakami’s incomplete documentary footage has been made into a finished first person memoir/documentary titled Notes from Liberia.

 

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

Dr Jerome C Crichton
Matthew Lawrence and Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas
Jalen Hurts - Getty
Delta plane that flipped over - screenshot
The Residence
K-Ci Hailey
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul - GettyImages
Zero Day/Robert De Niro
Ulta Beauty logo
Cherelle Parker - screenshot
Read More
Kanye West and Bianca Censori on Grammy Red Carpet - screenshot
Read More
Beyond the Gates
Read More
Damon Wayans
Read More
Denzel Washington - Gladiator II
Read More
Learjet after crashing - via Grok AI
Read More
Sunny Hostin
Read More
Amtrak
Read More
Will Smith (AI character from 'I Am Legend 2'
Read More
Bevelyn Beatty Williams
Read More

POPULAR

Beyond the Gates
CBS to Air Special on New Daytime Soap Opera 'Beyond The Gates'
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
Crunch Slap Supreme: Taco Bell Security Guard Caught Brutally Slapping Black Woman in Viral Video | WATCH
Raising Kanan Fourth Season
New Trailer for 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Hints at Intense Season 4 | Watch
Irv Gotti - Getty
Irv Gotti's Family Expects a Packed Church for His Funeral at Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral
Onijah Andrew Robinson
Black American Woman Returns to New York After Bizarre Ordeal in Pakistan | Video
Kendrick Lamar (Getty Images - CNN Newsource)
Who is Worthy to Follow Up Kendrick Lamar At 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show?
Serena Williams - via screenshot
Serena Williams Reveals Kendrick Lamar Requested Her Crip Walk Performance - That's it. No 'Git Back' at Drake
Taco Bell customer and security guard who slapped her
LA African American Leaders Call for Justice Following Slap Attack on Black Woman at Taco Bell Cantina - Presser Called for 5pm Today!
Zero Day/Robert De Niro
Netflix Drops Official ‘Zero Day’ Trailer Starring Robert De Niro and Angela Bassett