Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Not part of a collection.
"Heart of the Country" is the story of Shinichi Yasutomo, the extraordinary principal of a rural elementary school in Kanayama, central Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Yasutomo is a man driven by his vision for learning and his passion for educating the heart as well as the mind. The film follows Yasutomo, his teachers and staff, students and their families over the course of one entire school year. The film is also the story of the families of Kanayama. Parents and elders of this once impoverished town embrace Yasutomo's vision, but not without wary glances back to the past. This small community, bound together by love for its children, is also defined by its journey through the cultural upheavals of postwar Japan.
No cast information available.
No crew information available.
Freedom for the Wolf
Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire
Japan's War in Colour
Marked
Kampai! Sake Sisters
The Cove
Metal: A Headbanger's Journey
Global Metal
The Making of a Japanese
Kizu: The Untold Story of Unit 731
Hafu
The Sea Stares at Us from Afar
Grandma's Eternal Forest
Archipelago
Himalayan Herders
Defend, Conserve, Protect
Craft Beer in Japan
Rainbow Family
Darwin's Darlings
Coda
Baraka
My Mom Jayne
Lionel Messi: Destiny
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Our Planet: Behind the Scenes
35 Up
42 Up
A Plastic Ocean
Powaqqatsi
180° South
The Class of ‘92
The Mole: Undercover in North Korea
Girl Rising
Directed by John Ford
Looking for Richard
Fuck
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
Sherman's March
Naqoyqatsi
Tricked: The Documentary
May 11, 1997
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
The Long Goodbye
1973
G.I. Joe: Spy Troops
2003
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
The Long Goodbye
1973
G.I. Joe: Spy Troops
2003
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.