Day of the Western Sunrise

100 Movies in 100 Days
Movie 34 Day 34
Day of the Western Sunrise

A few days ago, a friend of mine told me there was a new film coming to the Knickerbocker Theater in Holland. The film was a documentary written and directed by a friend he went to high school with. I was so excited to see someone from Western Michigan making films! I didn't know much about the film. I knew it was a documentary that was done with live footage and animation. Color me intrigued. I was excited to meet the filmmaker and asks questions after the viewing. It's the inner film scholar, I love to dive a little deeper.

Day of the Western Sunrise is a documentary written and directed by Keith Reimink. It is the true story of a group of Japanese fisherman who accidentally witnessed one of the United States' nuclear tests at Castle Bravo in 1954. Day of the Western Sunrise uses paper animation, survivor interviews and narration to retell this horrifying moment in history. This film is done in Japanese with English subtitles, which is the way it should be. I always get frustrated when people don't want to see something because it's in another language. Personally, the film has a deeper impact on the audience because the story is told in the survivor's mother tongue.

The animation in Day of the Western Sunrise is absolutely beautiful. I have no idea how they did it! It looks like individually cut out pieces, overlapping together. I'm sure it was done with a computer but it looks handmade. Absolutely gorgeous and a wonderful way to tell such a horrific story.  So often documentaries relay on historical news footage or reenactment with actors. In Day of the Western Sunrise, Reimink uses the animation to create a unified story.

The soundtrack and music for Day of the Western Sunrise was done by Troy Reimink. The soundtrack is eerily haunting and tragically beautiful. The music never pulls focus away from the story but it does intensify the emotional drive behind the film.

Since the film is mostly animated, the sound effects were vital in the emotional telling of the story. Keith Reimink's use of simple sounds added depth and emotion to the animation. I felt like I was on a fishing boat in the middle of the ocean. I can hear the birds and the waves. It's amazing how little sounds and details can take you away to a different time.

How have we never heard this story? That was the question the film left me with. Day of the Western Sunrise does a brilliant job of trying to be unbiased. Reimink is there to tell a story from the survivor's perspective and not push a political agenda. I can respect and appreciate that but I was left with so many questions. What was the United State's involvement? What about the Japanese government and relationship with the fisherman? Leaving with questions is a good thing. A documentary should make you think and Day of the Western Sunrise will leave you wanting more. I highly recommend taking a look at this film.