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Movie poster: Asahiyama Zoo Story: Penguins in the Sky (2009)
🎬 Movie

Asahiyama Zoo Story: Penguins in the Sky

2009 · 112 min Drama
8.8 / 10 · TMDB

Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, is the northernmost zoo in Japan. The unpopular zoo welcomes a new zoo keeper, young Yoshida (Yasuhi Nakamura), who has more affection for insects than people after years of being bullied at school when he was young. Yoshida soon realizes that Asahiyama Zoo is facing a financial crisis and the zoo director Takizawa (Toshiyuki Nishida) has been doing everything in his power to save the zoo from closing down. Moved by Takizawa's passion, Yoshida and other zoo keepers came to share the zoo director's belief that one's dreams can come true, and together they tackle this seemingly impossible task of revitalizing Asahiyama. A breakthrough arrives in the form of “Behavioral Exhibition,†a method that is pioneered by Ashiyama's zoo keepers and which eventually makes the zoo renowned throughout the world.

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📋 Film Details

Original Title 旭山動物園物語 ペンギンが空をとぶ
Year 2009
Country Japan
Genre Drama
Director Masahiko Tsugawa
Runtime 112 min.
Rating TMDB: 8.8/10 (8 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The director bets on details: a gesture, a glance, a pause. In a good drama this is what says the most — and that principle is upheld here.

Worth watching if you're in the mood for serious cinema. Not background viewing — it demands attention.

For viewers who can watch slow cinema and value the human element in stories.

Director: Masahiko Tsugawa

— MovieFinder Editorial

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Viewing atmosphere: In quiet, in the evening. Better alone or with someone who watches films seriously.

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