Japanese children play with Brother Zeno’s beard.

Photo courtesy of www.brotherzenon.com

OAKLAND — “Brother Zeno: Boundless Love,” a Japanese animated story of compassion and service to humanity, will be screened on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Uptown Body and Fender in Oakland, located at 401 26th St. between Telegraph Avenue and Broadway.

This is the moving story of a Polish Franciscan monk, Brother Zeno Zebrowski, who devoted 50 years of his life to feeding and aiding the poor and orphans of Japan. From the ashes of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki to the earthquakes and floods over the years throughout Japan, he established the spirit of heroic volunteerism in a country that didn’t even have a word for it at the time.

“His story is one of relentless courage and compassion, reflecting the value that all of us are related, and that all of us have a responsibility for one another,” said a spokesperson for Zeno Anime USA.

The purpose of this film is to bring to a wider audience the story of Brother Zeno’s life as he struggled to alleviate the poverty and misery of postwar Japan. While this film is for adults as well as children, animation was chosen as the most engaging way to teach children how he helped so many people in need.

An equally important purpose for the screening is to raise funds for publishing an English-language version of the Japanese book about Brother Zeno’s work, to emphasize the crying need for volunteerism in all parts of the world today.

The film was animated by Ui Takashi, directed by Chiba Shigeki and produced by Edami Shizuki for the Fuji Welfare Foundation.

“Brother Zeno embodied a spirit of generosity and service — boundless love — that can be a beacon worldwide to the importance of personal action on behalf of society’s most vulnerable members,” said Paul Terrell of the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley.

“His story needs to be told and used as a model of what one individual can accomplish if one truly serves the community,” said documentary filmmaker Lee Mun Wah, the director of Stir Fry Seminars and Consulting.

The film will be shown along with a silent art auction and musical entertainment. Artists who are donating work are Chiyori Filion, Eriko Hirose, Mitsuyo Moore, Yasuko Kaya, Eiko Toyooka, Michael Grbich and Naohiro Matsuzawa.

Musical entertainment will be provided by soloist Mayumi Yanagi, who will play a composition on keyboards; violinist Alison Bailey Streich, vocalist Terrie Odabi and dobro player Anam Cara; and taiko drummer Jimi Nakagawa, who will be playing with shamisen and shinobue player Hidekiyo Fujimoto. Polish music will also be featured.

Donations are gladly accepted. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

For more information, call Mitsuyo Moore of Zeno Anime USA at (510) 633-9327 or e-mail mitsuyoart [at] aol.com. Visit www.brotherzenon.com for more information on Brother Zeno.

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