Japan, 1944. 22-year-old Hiroo Onoda completes his special military training. Unlike the kamikaze pilots who were being recruited around the same time in order to sacrifice their lives for Japan, Onoda is not allowed to die. He is sent to the small Philippine island of Lubang, where he and a small unit are tasked with fighting a guerilla war against the approaching Americans. The Japanese empire surrenders a year later, but Onoda is determined to hold his position… Arthur Harari shot his film, an unexpected hit at Cannes, with the light touch of a great cinematic storyteller. Paying homage to 1970s cinema, in particular in terms of subtle stylistic references, he presents a clear story about the ethics of war, forms of patriotism, male friendship, and solitude.