Rail of the Star - A True Story of Children and War (1993) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language

1993 · 79 mins · Japanese

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Directed by

Toshio Hirata, Satoru Namekawa

Starring

Chika Sakamoto, Reiko Suzuki, Michiko Neya, Shinpachi Tsuji, Keiko Han, Hideyuki Umezu

A young Japanese girl recalls her wartime childhood in Korea: her father is conscripted, baby sister Miko dies of typhoid, and Korean maid Ohana is dismissed after a mistake that could endanger her. Chiko learns Japan occupies Korea and Koreans are oppressed. After the war Koreans turn against the Japanese, making Chiko’s family unwelcome. Russian forces arrive, forcing them to destroy photographs, including Miko’s. The family flees north across the 38th Parallel, joining a mixed group of refugees guided by the “Northern Star.” Along the way they meet a Korean man whose family was killed by the Japanese, and he helps them escape Russian soldiers.