Films at the Embassy of Japan: Fireworks from the Heart おにいちゃんのハナビ

The small town of Katakai in Niigata Prefecture boasts some of the biggest fireworks displays in the world. Hana is released from the hospital on the day of the annual Katakai fireworks festival, which is on 9 September every year, following six months of treatment for acute leukaemia. Knowing that her older brother, Taro, is suffering as a social recluse, she resolves to get him more involved in the community and forces him out of seclusion. In a few months, after having a relapse she is hospitalized again. Hana tells Taro of her fond memories of Katakai’s fireworks - they had first seen them together as a family five years ago. Regardless of her family’s hopes, she quietly passes away. With this year’s festival approaching, Taro determines to launch a special creation in memory of his sister. The film is based on a true story.