The Twilight World

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Werner Herzog, a revered filmmaker, shares the extraordinary story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese soldier who defended a small Philippine island for twenty-nine years after World War II ended. In 1997, while in Tokyo to direct an opera, Herzog expressed a desire to meet Onoda, known for his quixotic defense of the island unaware that the war was over. Their hours-long conversation unraveled Onoda's remarkable journey. At the end of 1944, with Japanese troops withdrawing from Lubang Island, Lieutenant Onoda received orders to hold the island until the Imperial army's return, using guerilla tactics and never taking his own life. He retreated into the jungle, embarking on a campaign that turned weeks into months, months into years, and ultimately decades. Onoda adhered to his orders, surviving first with fellow soldiers and then alone, becoming one with the jungle. Time seemed to dissolve as he continued his mission. In this work, Herzog immortalizes Onoda's absurd yet epic struggle, blending documentary, poetry, and dreamlike narrative. The result is akin to a modern-day Robinson Crusoe, reflecting on the purpose and meaning we assign to our lives.