The Twilight World

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Werner Herzog, a revered filmmaker, shares the extraordinary tale 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 commitment to his mission. Their hours-long conversation unraveled Onoda's incredible story. In late 1944, as Japanese troops prepared to withdraw from Lubang Island, Lieutenant Onoda received orders to hold the island until the Imperial army's return, using guerilla tactics and forbidding himself from dying by his own hand. He was to mislead the enemy if captured. Dutifully, Onoda retreated into the jungle, beginning a campaign that transformed weeks into months, months into years, and eventually decades. He survived by any means necessary, initially alongside other soldiers, but ultimately alone, becoming one with the jungle. Time seemed to dissolve as he continued to follow his orders. In this work, Herzog immortalizes Onoda's absurd yet epic struggle, blending documentary, poetry, and dreamlike narrative, creating a modern-day Robinson Crusoe—a profound meditation on the purpose and meaning we assign to our lives.