The Extraordinary Journey of Dragon

(El extraordinario viaje del Dragón)
Kaori Flores Yonekura | Documentary

2025 | 85 minutes | Venezuela

A filmmaker weaves reality, memory, and myth through the photographs of her Japanese great-uncle and his journey across Peru and Venezuela.

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Synopsis

A filmmaker discovers a family treasure: more than 900 photographs taken by her great-uncle Yoshitomi Furuya between 1933 and 1945, documenting his life from his years as a young soldier in Japan to his migration to Peru and his imprisonment in Venezuela during World War II. As she follows the traces of his journey across three countries, the photographs open a window onto a life shaped by displacement, adaptation, memory, and belonging.

Through these images, the figure of the Dragon emerges—a chimera who, like a migrant, adapts and transforms according to the territories he encounters, carrying traces of each place while preserving something of where he came from. Blending archival photographs, memory, testimony, and imagination, The Extraordinary Journey of Dragon transforms one family's history into a reflection on migration, identity, and the search for a place to call home.

Reviews

“The film exudes a beautiful warmth that captivates with its intimate yet expansive tone. Very well crafted. A new documentary that speaks volumes about Venezuelan cinema.” — Alfonso Molina, Ideas de Babel

"Revisit a family album to find connections that are personal, subjective, national, and international. For all these reasons, this film offers a glimpse into the contribution of our documentary filmmakers, who consistently represent the national industry with their excellent work." — Sergio Monsalve, Independent Film Critic

“The work opens the heart, breaks stereotypes about cultural isolation, and refutes racist topoi through the romance of the protagonists.” — Pablo Gamba, Los Experimentos Cine

“A beautiful story about migration, about the Japanese in America and Venezuela, but also about the filmmaker's own story. It is also a wonderful exercise in making use of heritage—in this case, family photographs—and highlighting the importance of preserving and conserving the visual memory of the world, a country, a town, or a family.” — Vladimir Sosa Sarabia, National Cinematheque Foundation of Venezuela

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Keywords
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Festivals

Forqué Awards - Best Latin American Film - Cinema, Education, and Values Award; Rencontres de Toulouse Latin American Film Festival; Doc.Coimbra - Honorable Mention for International Feature; Caracas Film Critics Festival - Jury Prize; Al Este International Film Festival; Punta del Este Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Kaori Flores Yonekura

NATIONALITY: Venezuela

YEAR: 2025

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: Adult, College, High School, Middle School

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

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