Nobody Knows (2004 Film)

Nobody Knows (2004 film)

Nobody Knows (誰も知らない, Dare mo shiranai?) is a 2004 Japanese film based on the 1988 event known as the "Affair of the four abandoned children of Sugamo". The film is directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, and it stars actors Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura.

Nobody Knows tells the story of four children: Akira, Kyoko, Shigeru and Yuki, who are aged between five and twelve years old. They are half-siblings, with each of them having different father. The children cannot go outside, do not attend school, and cannot be spotted by outsiders. Their mother ran away and got married, thereby abandoning them, and they were forced to survive on their own. Over time, they can only rely on each other to face the multiple challenges in front of them.

Nobody Knows was first shown at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival on 12 May 2004. It was subsequently released in Japanese cinemas on 7 August 2004. The film was well received by critics, and it grossed over US$2 million worldwide. It won several awards such as the Best Actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, and the Best Film and Best Director awards at the 47th Hochi Film Awards.