Four siblings, ranging in age from four to 12, live happily with their mother in a small Tokyo apartment. Their circumstance is far from normal, however: the children have never been to school and all have different fathers. The existence of the three youngest has been hidden from the landlord; they are smuggled into the apartment in suitcases and ordered not to make excessive noise, or even step outside. One day the mother vanishes, leaving behind some money and a note for the eldest child, Akira, asking him to look after the others. With the responsibility of caring for the family resting on him, Akira shoulders the burden with a heavy heart as the children are forced to engage in the world outside their cocooned universe.

Winner of the Best Actor award at Cannes, 14-year-old Yagira Yuga is simply extraordinary as the caretaker head of the abandoned clan. Based on a true story, Nobody Knows is an emotional, enriching experience.

'Nobody Knows is a film built on impressions and observations... Its strength lies in the accuracy and truth of those observations.' -screen International

'Kore-eda sketches the inner, spiritual and emotional lives of the children with subtlety and sensitivity.' -Variety

D/P/S Kore-eda Hirokazu WS Celluloid Dreams L Japanese w/English subtitles TD 35mm/Col/2004/141mins

Kore-eda Hirokazu was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1962. Films include: Maborosi (1995), After Life (1998), Distance (2001).