Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3579 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-16
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 140 minutes

Synopsis
Based on a true events, follows the plight of four young children who are left to take care of themselves.

Customer Reviews

A touching little Japanese tale
I have just watched this remarkably simple and sad yet heartwarming Japanese film, and felt obliged to write my first review on Amazon, if only to allow others to share the enjoyment of this little film. It all moves at a deliberately slow pace but you, the viewer, are rewarded with outstanding acting from a cast of mostly young children, and a touching and at times heart-wrenching story which patronises neither the characters or the viewer. Don't be put off by the fact that its in a foreign language - it is not an 'art' film, just a beautifully told slice of life which could happen anywhere but which is enriched by its unique depiction of ordinary Tokyo suburban life....

Very moving
This is a very sad story without making you depressed. It's a story of 4 children who were abondoned by their mother and whom nobody in the society knows that they exist. 4 children expressed in the films are so lovely and special that you get frustrated with the Japanese society that appears to be very polite and caring to others on the surface but can be cold and indifferent to others in different levels, which is the reason why these children could exist without being known to neighbours, to landloard, to authorities, etc. The mother who left them was also cruel but at the same time her action reflects the cruel side of Japanese society which stigmatises unmarried mothers, children without fathers, resulting in her drastic choice she had made in order to be happy as a woman rather than as a mother. Akira, the main character in the film, is excellent in his role in raising and protecting his siblings within the world of their own. This is an excellent film to watch.

Brilliant and moving
An underseen, humanist classic, 'Nobody Knows' explores how 4 children cope when their mother abandons them for months on end in their Tokyo apartment. The film progresses gently, but is acutely observed, highlighting the different ways in which the children cope with their situation. The performances are devastatingly powerful. The most moving moments don't always come from high drama; few films can match the potency of the sequence where the teenage son takes his 4 year old sister out of the house - for the first time in months - for a birthday treat. As they walk hand-in-hand along down the centre of the road it's hard to hold back a tear.

Another gem from the ICA. Like the other DVDs from this label it comes with strong cover design and far more useful than usual chaptering.