AllMovie

The island of Hokkaido, in Japan, is located near the Arctic Circle and is famous for its cold, snowy winters. In this understated drama, a celebrated writer is being shown some caves, which have glow-in-the-dark moss, by the local school headmaster. One cave has quite a history, as flashbacks show: during World War II, it was the wintertime shelter chosen by three shipwrecked sailors whose supply vessel had sunk just off the coast. The harsh winter prevented them from seeking shelter in nearby settlements, and they slowly starved to death. However, before the first man died, the three agreed that each man who died would offer his body to sustain the lives of the others. Eventually, only the captain of the vessel survived. When he first emerged from the cave, he was greeted as a hero, but before long he was required to stand trial for the gruesome means of his survival.