From Land of the Rising Sun with love

Animated film “Nobita's Dinosaur 2006” was screened at National Theatre Stage on March 6, as part of the Japan Cultural festival '09.Mainul Hassan

As part of the Japan Cultural Festival 2009, a special screening of the Japanese animated movie "Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Dinosaur 2006" was held at National Theatre Stage, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), on March 6.

The programme began with a short 3:30 minute documentary on Japanese culture and landscape, titled "Yokoso! Japan (Soulful Japan)." Hiroshi Omura, head of Information and Cultural Division, Embassy of Japan, welcomed the audience.

An informative documentary, giving the audience an idea of the thriving Japanese animation industry, was also screened at the venue.

Highlight of the day, the animation "Nobita's Dinosaur 2006" features the adventures of a school student Nobita and his friends -- Suneo, Gian and Shizuka -- as they travel back in time to the era of dinosaurs. They are helped by Doraemon, a robotic cat from the 22nd century.

The story begins when Suneo shows a fossilised claw of a T-Rex, to all his friends except Nobita. An offended and frustrated Nobita throws a challenge to Suneo that he will find an entire dinosaur fossil. He spends the next few days reading books on dinosaurs and digging the local hills. His endeavour is successful when he finds a fossilised dinosaur egg. With Doraemon's help, the egg is hatched, and a long neck baby dinosaur emerges. Nobita names the dinosaur Pisuke. When Pisuke becomes too large it becomes clear that Nobita cannot hide him from the world anymore. He decides to send the dinosaur back in time. What follows next is an amazing fictional adventure that includes time travel, facing many dangers in the ancient world, making friends with dinosaurs, being chased by T-Rex and finally an escape from the Dino hunters. The one hour and 48 minute animation movie is replete with information about many dinosaur species living in the Cretaceous era.

"Animation can be a useful medium of educating people. In particular, children enjoy animation greatly," said Hiroshi Omura.

Japan Cultural Festival 2009 ended on March 7.