Hot Summer

Summer has arrived in the Japanese countryside. Hiroo, a mischievous 10-year-old boy, is playing with his mother when an army jeep pulls up in a cloud of dust. An officer and his sidekick emerge. They are there to enlist the child and turn him into a soldier in the service of the Emperor. Against all odds, Hiroo refuses and runs away. The two soldiers give chase, but Hiroo's mother intervenes, risking her life.

Directed by Simon Dupuis, Hot Summer leans on a strong ensemble — Dorothée Schoonooghe, Stéphanie Lowette, Michel Nabokov — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about animation titles of 2022.