The new "Tetris" movie chronicles how Henk Rogers secured distribution rights to the Russian game in the 1980s and tied its introduction to Nintendo's handheld Game Boy. It went on to mesmerize gamers around the world on countless gaming platforms.
"There was a documentary on BBC going way back," Rogers said. "Time goes by and somebody saw the documentary and said, 'Wow, that would make a movie.' And they contacted me, 'Would you like a movie done about your life?' And I said, 'Ah, not really.' But then my daughter said, 'You know what? You should do it.' So she convinced me."
Over the years, Rogers became close friends with Tetris game designer Alexey Pajitnov, who was living in the Soviet Union at the time. Now they own The Tetris Company, which manages all licenses for the game.
Rogers said Pajitnov keeps himself busy at home near Seattle these days. Rogers is the opposite — "running around the world trying to get things done."
Rogers, who lives in Hawaiʻi, has been on a mission to use his money and influence to make a difference in our green energy future. He started the Hawaiʻi-based Blue Planet Foundation and the New York-based Blue Planet Alliance for international matters.
"I believe that before I can ask other people to clean up their room, I have to clean up my room. My room is Hawaiʻi. And so we started the foundation, trying to figure out how we're going to do this," he said.
The foundation was a main proponent of the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative, a commitment to go 100% renewable energy by 2045 — the first state in the country to do so.
"Today, we changed the business model of the utility, so they make more money by switching to renewables. Hawaiʻi has already reached its 2030 goal of 40% renewable energy today. We went from 'it's impossible' to killing it," Rogers said.
Guam has also passed a mandate of 100% renewable energy by 2045, Rogers said. He's in Guam this week to meet Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and sign a pledge for the island’s sustainability goals.
"Last year, we signed on Tonga, Tuvalu, and we're in the process with Palau. We want to start the domino effect, starting with island countries," he said.
A father of four, Rogers said he is more determined than ever to use his influence to protect the future for generations to come.
"Tetris" starring Taron Egerton as Henk Rogers is out now on Apple TV+.
This interview aired on The Conversation on April 12, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. This story was adapted for the web by HPR's Sophia McCullough.
