The movie chronicles the experience of Sakae Oba, the last member of the Japanese Imperial Army to surrender to U.S. forces months on Saipan after the World War II Battle of the Marianas.
The movie is scheduled for release in Feb. 2011 at over 300 theaters in Japan. While much of the filming is being done in Thailand, a seven-member film crew visited Saipan this month to shoot specific sites for the movie. These included Mt. Tapochau, the highest mountain on the island providing a 360-degree view, and Banzai Cliff, where hundreds of Japanese jumped to their deaths during the battle rather than surrender to advancing American forces.
MVA helped the crew secure filming permits. MVA said it is expecting the movie to have a positive impact on tourism to Saipan, as the movie is produced by a major studio with an A-list cast and staff, including Yutaka Takenouchi, Toshiaki Karasawa, Mao Inoue, and Takayuki Yamada.
The movie is expected to reach 3 million movie-goers in Japan.
