Based on David Guterson's best-selling novel, this is the story of a Japanese-American who must stand trial for the murder of a man with whom he's had a lifelong grudge. Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) is a reporter who has information that could potentially prove the defendant's innocence, but complications arise when he discovers that the man's wife (Youki Kudoh) was his first love. The two were forced to separate after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but their reunion has Chambers confused about which choice he should make. Gorgeous photography highlights this romantic drama with a political edge.