Synopsis
Hiroki Fujisawa and Takuya Shirakawa share an intense fascination with their classmate Sayuri Sawatari and the seemingly endless Ezo Tower that rises above the Tsugaru Strait. Inspired by this unattainable structure, they begin building an aircraft called Bella Ciela from a discarded drone, hoping to one day reach its summit. With Sayuri joining their project, the three make a promise to fly to the tower together. Yet Japan is split into northern and southern regions, and tensions escalate around the tower, which sits on the border between American-controlled southern islands and Soviet-held northern territories. A devastating event occurs when Sayuri vanishes without warning, leaving Hiroki and Takuya grief-stricken and searching for answers. Unbeknownst to them, Sayuri has fallen into a prolonged coma due to a mysterious sleep disorder. When they learn of her condition, Hiroki and Takuya also discover a strange connection between Sayuri’s comatose state and the very tower they had vowed to explore together.
Background
The film won the Best Animation Film award at the Mainichi Film Awards in 2004.
