Showa Shinzan

This animated story, based on actual events, evokes the look and feel of the Japanese art of Bunraku puppetry.

During the Second World War, young Yasuko goes to live with her grandparents in Hokkaido, northern Japan. When nearby Mount Usu erupts, her grandfather, postmaster Masao Mimatsu, decides to record its activity. As the realities of war creep into their remote village, the volcano continues to spew rocks and smoke. As Yasuko looks at her grandfather's drawings, she realizes that she is witnessing the birth of a new mountain, named Showa Shinzan.

Alison Reiko Loader combines 3-D computer animation with archival footage and drawings to present a story of nature's destructive beauty. These awesome forces provide the catalyst for personal transformation as a young girl learns about the world and begins to understand and admire the man who helps expand her awareness.