Shima (2007)
Encyclopedia
Shima is a 2007 film from Uzbekistan
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fanaticism seals the fate of an island's inhabitants and its garrison, through a massacre, interrupting the love between a soldier and a fisherman's daughter. The daughter survives, but the other survivor Taro- a soldier cut off from all communication- continues to serve the emperor for another thirty years. Tormented in his dreams by memories and his secret aspiration for eternal peace.
Taro is regularly 'inspected' by his former military inspector Yamada, who exploits the situation to entertain former Japanese
officers, nostalgic of Imperial Japan, by luring visitors to the island through his War Veterans Association. The visitors are held captive and enrolled by Taro to serve in the army of the Great Emperor. For the sadistic pleasure of the former Japanese
officers, Yamada organises "inspections" during which the new recruits must prove their devotion to the emperor by sacrificing their lives.
Many years later Shintaro, the son of the fisherman's daughter, finds himself on the island after searching for his father. He learns his father disappeared on the island just before the massacre. He contacts Yamada through the War Veterans Association, who agrees to take him and others to the island. But once they arrive he abandons them and puts Taro in charge. For Shintaro and his comrades this means forced enrolment, military drills and suffering. After months of torture Shintaro and the other captives start to accept Taro's twisted sense of reality. The training intensifies as Taro prepares the recruits to fight a mysterious enemy.
, a Japanese holdout
who did not surrender until 1974. During his service, it has been estimated that he killed about thirty people, including American soldiers and local police militia.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
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Plot
At the end of the Second World War, imperial JapaneseJapanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
fanaticism seals the fate of an island's inhabitants and its garrison, through a massacre, interrupting the love between a soldier and a fisherman's daughter. The daughter survives, but the other survivor Taro- a soldier cut off from all communication- continues to serve the emperor for another thirty years. Tormented in his dreams by memories and his secret aspiration for eternal peace.
Taro is regularly 'inspected' by his former military inspector Yamada, who exploits the situation to entertain former Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
officers, nostalgic of Imperial Japan, by luring visitors to the island through his War Veterans Association. The visitors are held captive and enrolled by Taro to serve in the army of the Great Emperor. For the sadistic pleasure of the former Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
officers, Yamada organises "inspections" during which the new recruits must prove their devotion to the emperor by sacrificing their lives.
Many years later Shintaro, the son of the fisherman's daughter, finds himself on the island after searching for his father. He learns his father disappeared on the island just before the massacre. He contacts Yamada through the War Veterans Association, who agrees to take him and others to the island. But once they arrive he abandons them and puts Taro in charge. For Shintaro and his comrades this means forced enrolment, military drills and suffering. After months of torture Shintaro and the other captives start to accept Taro's twisted sense of reality. The training intensifies as Taro prepares the recruits to fight a mysterious enemy.
Cast
- Seidula Moldakhanov as Taro
- Mikhail Vodzumi as Shintaro
- Anvar Kenjaev as Yamada
Influences
Based on the true story of Lieutenant Hiroo OnodaHiroo Onoda
is a former Japanese army intelligence officer who fought in World War II and did not surrender until 1974, having spent almost 30 years holding out in the Philippines. He held the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
, a Japanese holdout
Japanese holdout
Japanese holdouts or stragglers were Japanese soldiers in the Pacific Theatre who, after the August 1945 surrender of Japan that marked the end of World War II, either adamantly doubted the veracity of the formal surrender due to strong dogmatic or militaristic principles, or were not aware of it...
who did not surrender until 1974. During his service, it has been estimated that he killed about thirty people, including American soldiers and local police militia.