The Ants

After the fall of the Japanese to the Allies in 1945, World War II officially came to an end; yet in 1954, a young Japanese solider was just returning home from duty in China. Today that solider is 80-year-old Mr. Okumura, and THE ANTS follows his campaign to uncover the undisclosed military orders that kept 2,600 Japanese soldiers fighting in China after the war. Failing to gain an official acknowledgement of the orders from the Japanese government, Okumura returns to China after nearly 60 years to secure further proof. The trip to China is oddly nostalgic as Okumura comes face to face with difficult memories. Even at home Okumura and his few living fellow soldiers are constantly confronted with their past. Director Kaoru Ikeya handles Okumura's journey simply and blatantly. The end result is a reverent, yet starkly painful tale of the unceasing political/personal blur that both creates war and sustains the memory of it long after the fact. (In Japanese and Mandarin with English subtitles) – J.B.H.