Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful documents the life-long journey of Keiko Fukuda’s decision to defy thousands of years of tradition, choose her own path, and become the highest-ranking woman in judo history. Once in a long while, the life destiny of one woman lines up to make a radical shift for women around the world. On July 28, 2011 Keiko Fukuda broke through a glass ceiling for women when she was awarded the pinnacle of judo, the 10th degree black belt. Fukuda is the first and only woman to hold this honor. Fukuda Sensei passed away on February 9, 2013. She was 99 years old, and had taught judo in San Francisco until just before her death. She was last disciple of judo’s founder, Jigoro Kano.
Director/Producer Yuriko Gamo Romer directed and produced the only biographical documentary about Keiko Fukuda (1913-2013), the first woman to attain the tenth degree black belt in judo. Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has traveled to more than 25 film festivals internationally and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2013 International Festival of Sport Films in Moscow. Mrs. Judo also broadcast on PBS nationally as part of CAAM’s Japanese American Lives 2014, hosted by Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. Additionally, her film Occidental Encounters won numerous awards, among them a Student Academy Award – Gold Medal and Heartland FF’s Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award. Romer was born in Japan and raised in the United States, and is bilingual. She holds a Master’s degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University. She is a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Scholar and an American Association of Japanese University Women Scholar.
