Fireflies: River of Light
Director: Sugawara Hiroshi
Starring: Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Risako Sugaya, Takuya Asada
Prelude: The film, based on a real-life story in Japan, is about a primary school teacher who initiates a scheme to breed fireflies with his students. Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are almost non-existent in urban areas. As they are often found near unpolluted streams or meadows, their population size is an indicator of the level of pollution in an area.
The story: Ozawa plays Miwa, a young and caring teacher in a remote village who has trouble dealing with his naughty students and conservative colleagues. During a field trip, he comes up with a plan that captures the children's attention: breeding fireflies so that their summer nights can be illuminated by the flashing insects.
Among the excited students is a lonely and quiet girl called Hikari (Sugaya), who has a great interest in raising fireflies. She believes in a folktale which claims that people can meet with their deceased family members when the fireflies fly. But Miwa's plan faces fierce opposition from his conservative school and the community. Although Miwa is told that he can save his job by halting the project, he is determined not to let his students down.