Place Promised in Our Early Days / Voices of a Distant Star

Double bill of Japanese animations from film-maker Makoto Shinkai. In 'The Place Promised in Our Early Days' (2004) three children vow to solve the riddle of the Hokkaido Tower, constructed during World War II and linked to a string of mysterious events. In the short 'Voices of a Distant Star' (2003), when an alien force begins its annihilation of the human race, a young pilot decides to join the resistance.

But the danger of interstellar battle is not Mikako (voice of Mika Shinohara)'s greatest concern, for she has left behind the young man she loves. As Mikako flies further into deep space, her only way to connect with Noboru (Shinkai) is by text messages on her phone.