Ostriches, cows, hogs, cats, a pony and a dog … Animals roam freely in lush greenery in the evacuated nuclear zone. And there is one man who stayed behind, creating his own Eden. 55 year-old Naoto Matsumura lives alone with these animals in Tomioka, a town located only 12 kilometers away from the melted-down nuclear power plant.

In the last few years, Naoto has been the focus of media attention, being covered by CNN, ARTE and other major overseas networks. But due to government restrictions, his story has remained largely untold in the Japanese media. Until now, there has never been a feature-length documentary film on him and the reality of life in the exclusion zone.

An accidental hero or a fool on the hill? Naoto is an ever-intriguing, complex person who has firmly remained behind in this hometown - a place Japan is trying to erase from the map. "Alone in Fukushima" follows his life with animals in the zone over the course of a year.