A New Dawn

Keitaro lives in an abandoned fireworks factory that once belonged to his family. Before his home is demolished to make way for a new road, the boy wants to fulfil his missing father’s dream and organise a fireworks display the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

The Obinata Fireworks Factory’s glory days are long gone. The town authorities plan to demolish the building, now reclaimed by nature, and build a motorway in its place. The factory’s last defender is the son of its former owner, the stubborn Keitaro. The young pyrotechnician dreams of bringing his father’s final project, the mysterious Shuhari, to life. His older brother Sentaro and their childhood friend Kaoru reluctantly come to his aid. Together, the three young people must confront the ghosts of the past before they can answer questions about their own future.

Animator Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s feature-length directorial debut is a true visual feast. Filled with pastel colours and shimmering lights, it resembles a breathtaking fireworks display. It is a return to a world that no longer exists, a nostalgic story about searching for home and finding one’s own path.

Did you know that…

…the Japanese word hanabi, meaning “fireworks”, can be translated literally as “fire flowers”? Fireworks are an important part of Japanese culture: in the past, they were believed to ward off evil spirits, while today they are an integral part of summer festivals.