In a derelict ramen house, a woman earns money by offering the only collateral she has left: her body. A young soldier comes seeking her services, though his need for comfort outweighs his lust. He tries to forge a relationship with both the woman and the little boy who visits her nightly, all of them bereft of family due to the firebombing that laid waste to their city. When the soldier suddenly lashes out, this ersatz family is reduced to two, until the woman’s inability to process her own trauma forces the boy to leave.

The boy joins a man on a journey who, cheerful by day, whimpers in his sleep at night, reliving the horrors of his past in nightmares.

Reminiscent of the best films of Shindô Kaneto, Shadow of Fire pierces the fragile psyches of ordinary people reeling from their proximity to extraordinary violence, in the immediate post–World War II period.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024: Unforgettable: Memories, Times and Reflections in Japanese Cinema, is organised by the Japan Foundation, with Major Support from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, with Sponsorship in Kind from SUQQU, Athletia, Clearspring and Pentel.