Giovanni's Island is a 2014 anime film directed by Mizuho Nishikubo, produced by Production I.G. and co-written with Shigemichi Sugita. The film is based on the true story of Japanese residents of Shikotan, a small island off the northeast coast of Hokkaido, who were forcibly evicted by Soviet forces shortly after the end of World War II.
The film centers on two young boys, Junpei and Kanta, who develop a close friendship despite the language and cultural barriers that separate them. Junpei is a Japanese boy whose father is taken away by Russian soldiers, while Kanta is a Russian boy whose father is a soldier serving in the occupation forces. Despite the conflict between their two countries, the boys find common ground in their love of music and their fascination with a nearby island where they believe a princess lives.
As the occupation forces become more oppressive, tensions rise between the Japanese and Russian residents of Shikotan. Junpei and Kanta's friendship is put to the test as they struggle to understand the political and historical forces that are tearing their families and communities apart. In the end, their friendship provides a glimmer of hope in a dark and uncertain world.
Giovanni's Island is a poignant and beautifully animated film that explores themes of friendship, war, and reconciliation. Its historical accuracy and attention to detail make it a powerful tribute to the real-life residents of Shikotan who suffered through one of the most traumatic periods in Japanese and Russian history.