Imphal 1944 | Nice IFF 2018

Directed by
Junichi Kajioka

Category
Foreign Language Short

Synopsis
Based on a true story. Set in both modern day London and Northeast India in the 1940s, “Imphal 1944” is a film about an unlikely friendship between a Japanese and British war veteran.

When the Japanese war veteran, Masao, was fighting for his country in India, he took two British soldiers captive. In the course of the ensuing battle one dies and the other survives. In his later life he seeks out his old enemy. He takes with him the dead soldier’s handkerchief that he has kept for all this time. His attempts are rebutted and he wonders whether reconciliation is possible after so many years.

The film is inspired by the true story of a Japanese war veteran Masao Hirakubo OBE, who fought in the Battle of Imphal in Manipur, Northeast India, and subsequently worked tirelessly on reconciliation activities. The film is dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the war.

Run time: 19m