Wings of Defeat (2007)

"Wings of Defeat" is a full-length documentary that delves into the human narratives of those who survived as kamikaze pilots. When filmmaker Risa Morimoto discovered that her own uncle had trained as a kamikaze pilot during his youth and took that untold story to his grave, she embarked on a journey to retrace his path and engage with surviving pilots, delving into their remarkable accounts. Six decades later, octogenarian survivors recount their training, mental outlooks, moments within kamikaze cockpits, and the profound significance of surviving while many of their peers met tragic fates. These firsthand stories beckon us to shed our preconceptions and share in their deeply human experiences. Ultimately, they compel us to ponder the obligations of a wartime government to both its soldiers and its citizens.