Sumith Prasad
Apple TV+’s biographical film ‘Tetris’ revolves around Henk Rogers, a Japan-based Dutch businessman who sets out to acquire the handheld rights to ‘Tetris,’ a Russian game created by Alexey Pajitnov. Henk gets involved in the expansion of the game after putting his house on the line without even discussing the same with his wife Akemi Rogers. Akemi supports her husband through thick and thin, which becomes the foundation of his life. In reality, Akemi is a significant part of Henk’s life as the film accurately depicts!
Henk’s Support System
Henk and Akemi met for the first time while studying at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she studied English. After her studies, Akemi returned to Japan, her home country. Henk followed her and after three extended visits, he made the decision to not return to the United States. Since his family always wanted to settle in Japan, Henk didn’t have to think a lot about uniting with Akemi in the Asian country. Henk and Akemi married in 1977 and they lived in the Japanese countryside, at a small house located in a family compound owned by his step-father. Henk was involved with his family business at the time.
Since Henk’s work took him away from the family for long periods, it was Akemi who looked after their kids prominently. While Akemi was giving birth to their third child, Henk was away in Thailand. He wanted to put an end to being away from his family, which led him to found Bullet-Proof Software, Inc., the software company that eventually struck a deal with Nintendo to launch “Game Boy” with ‘Tetris.’ Akemi made Bullet-Proof appear like a Japanese company. “Akemi helped him [Henk] incorporate as a business, and she answered the phone to make this one-man operation appear at least a little like a Japanese software company,” Dan Ackerman wrote in ‘The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World.’
Akemi then followed her husband Henk to the United States when the latter wanted to shift his business to the West. With her support, Henk founded Bullet-Proof’s successor Blue Planet Software in 1996 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also founded The Tetris Company with Alexey Pajitnov as well. Although Jon S. Baird’s ‘Tetris’ succeeds in depicting the bond between Henk and Akemi, there are several fictional details integrated into her storyline. There are no reports that suggest Russian agents threatened Akemi to make Henk leave the Soviet Union without striking a deal with ELORG for the handheld rights to ‘Tetris.’ The particular development is seemingly fictional, conceived to create tension in the narrative of the film.
Where is Akemi Rogers Today?
While Henk and his daughter Maya Rogers continued to expand The Tetris Company, Akemi Rogers mostly stayed away from the spotlight. She witnessed her daughter becoming the CEO of The Tetris Company and Blue Planet Software in 2014 as a proud mother. Akemi, Henk, and their family are seemingly settled in the town of Kailua-Kona, which is located on the west coast of Hawaii Island. Around 2013, Henk and Akemi bought a house on Tantalus. They have another house in Puu Waawaa Ranch as well.
Akemi and Henk also founded Henk and Akemi Rogers Foundation to serve their community. Akemi spends a considerable part of her time with her family members, including her children, their partners, and her grandchildren.
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