Why is Aikido O'Sensei on the Kamidana in the movie The Art of Self Defense?

[Martin S. Ware]

I recently saw the indie movie The Art of Self Defense, starring Jesse Eisenberg. It's very, very dark humor and I liked it a lot. The director, Riley Stearns, practices BJJ, but features a fictional karate style in the movie as he thought it would be more accessible to the general public. The fictional style was founded by the "Grandmaster," who is very important to the story, and whose picture is kept on the kamidana of the dojo,

For some reason, though, the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, O'Sensei, appears behind the Grandmaster on his kamidana. Why? I haven't found any discussion of this online. I loved the satirical sting of the movie, but as a former Aikidoka, didn't really love the use of O'Sensei's image this way.

I believe this is the source image, followed by an image from the movie. Watching the movie, there are close-ups of the photo that are very clear.

 

[Buka]

To find out you would have to speak to the set designers. Set design is usually the largest crew on a film.

I doubt they had anything nefarious in mind. Especially where it’s not a documentary but, as you said, a dark comedy.

 

[Headhunter]

It's fictional don't make a big deal about it. Who cares

 

[Buka]

He obviously cares.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

To make a guess at why they chose that picture, I'd have to see the movie. I can think of reasons humorous, coincidental, or meaningful (or a combination).