Red Emperor

As the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, General Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave.

Youngster Toby (Jonathan Starr) and his sister, Liz (Anick), live with their aunt and uncle, who take in Cambodian orphan Hoang (Ky Huot Uk) while he awaits placement with a foster family. The three kids become fast friends, and, as they explore a nearby wood, they encounter a retired engineer (Mickey Rooney) living in an abandoned freight car. Playing off Toby's already active fantasy life, the kids and the engineer use the train car to make an imaginary journey to Cambodia.

As It Happened: Emperor Hirohito. At the end of World War II Japan was under American control. It was widely anticipated that Emperor Hirohito would face trial for war crimes, but no trial ever took place. This film sets out to explore why, and to ask whether the Emperor escaped his responsibility. The film's archival footage provides powerful testimony about a nation on the verge of war, the atrocities committed during the war in the name of the country, the fierce and tragic battles fought by the people, and the country's post-war management.