Following the Unreturned Soldier: Thailand

In '71, Shohei Imamura uncovers an underground network of "rogue" Japanese soldiers who stayed put in Southeast Asia permanently. Was this exile voluntary? Three hardened ex-soldiers in their fifties answer the question over a reunion dinner, semi-nostalgically recounting an unending torrent of battle atrocities committed in the name of "victory". Their resilience is a testament to human will -- and the actions they divulge provide a lifetime of ethical debate. (KG)