104 min.
In late autumn, over 800 swans from Siberia soar in to Toyama Prefecture in Japan’s Hokuriku region to wait out the winter months before heading back home again. In the spring of 2018, however, one particular swan with a broken wing was left behind unable to fly. It was spotted by bird watcher, Koichi Sawae (then 57), who has long been captivated by the grace and beauty of the swan and spends his time capturing their exploits with his video camera. Feeling for the injured swan, Sawae takes to feeding and monitoring its recovery, saying: “I want the bird to be able to rejoin his flock come next winter.” But nature is unforgiving and the law of the jungle still hold sway. Sawae had never seen a wild swan survive the sweltering heat of Toyama before. This will challenge every ounce of resourcefulness he and the swan can muster. In the process of the struggle, Sawae began to view the swan as a projection of himself. “It was as if the swan filled a hole in my heart.” “I am human, but I began to feel myself becoming a swan - one swan taking care of another.” Perhaps this allayed some of the hesitation Sawae felt about interfering with nature. Will the injured swan be reunited with his flock? Or will it take a miracle?
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