20 Seconds of Courage, directed and written by Shunuske Okubo, is an one of the most emotionally beautifully films of 2016 and definitely the best short film I've ever seen!!
Shunsuke is the kind of director/writer that knows how to tell a compelling story in his films. I was anticipating this film as I watched his previous films and was carried away by his incredible talent. What he created was way beyond my expectations. It has a great story line, and a lot of beautifully powerful shots. That is still vivid in my memories.
There's a lot of splendid actors in this film and none of them are put to waste - most amazingly, they are all newcomers. They don't have a preconceived idea of what acting is, as Shunsuke says, that's why their acting is so natural. But that's also the magic of Shunsuke really; he knows ways to bring performance out of the children that isn't as basic as, "Look sad!" All of the child actors in his films are pretty solid and I would go as far to say that they better than the adults.
As other one said, This is one of those movies that must be seen in theatres. If you have watched his other films and love them, then watch this. If you have not, watch it still, as long as you have a heart and know what you're getting into, chances are you'll like this gem of a film.