The Roof of Japan (1957)

This film was touted as its country's first full-length "nature documentary." Following the tradition established by Disney's "True-Life Adventures," the film transports the viewers to the loftiest heights of Japan's mountain ranges. Here, the hardy residents struggle for survival against the elements, and do a pretty good job of it (after all, they've been there longer than the audience has!) Especially well handled are the sequences involving the animal denizens of the snow-capped regions.

• Release Date: 1957-06-25
• Runtime: 1h 18min
• Production Company: Daiei Film
• Production Country: Japan
• Director: Sadao Imamura