Gambo

Gambo is a short animated film directed by Hiroaki Ando and released in 2013 as one of the segments of the anthology Short Peace. It is a dark, violent period fantasy set in Japan's distant past.

The story is set in a remote mountain village in northern Japan in the late Muromachi period. A monstrous red demon that came from the sky has been terrorizing the villagers, killing people and carrying off young women. With no one else able to stop it, a young girl turns to Gambo, a mysterious giant white bear, and the bear becomes the only power able to stand against the monster.

The film builds up to a ferocious, brutal fight between the two creatures. Ando tells the story with very little dialogue, relying on atmosphere, a muted, painterly look combined with computer animation, and intense action. Short and self-contained, Gambo plays like a grim folk tale about a clash between two inhuman beings, with the people caught between them at its heart.