Dare mo shiranai (2004)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Hirokazu Koreeda

Writer:

Hirokazu Koreeda (writer)

Release Date:

21 October 2004 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In Tokyo, the reckless single mother Keiko moves to a small apartment with her twelve years old son Akira Fukushima and hidden in the luggage...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Luggage | Home Alone | Crayon | Tokyo Japan

Awards:

13 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Yûya Yagira	...	Akira Fukushima
Ayu Kitaura	...	Kyoko
Hiei Kimura	...	Shigeru
Momoko Shimizu	...	Yuki
Hanae Kan	...	Saki
You	...	Keiko, the mother
Kazuyoshi Kushida	...	Yoshinaga, The Landlord
Yukiko Okamoto	...	Eriko Yoshinaga
Sei Hiraizumi	...	Mini-market Manager
Ryo Kase	...	Mini-market Employee
Takako Tate	...	Mini-market teller
Yuichi Kimura	...	Sugihara (Taxi Driver)
Kenichi Endo	...	Pachinko Parlor Employee
Susumu Terajima	...	Baseball coach

Directed by
Hirokazu Koreeda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hirokazu Koreeda		writer

Produced by
Satoshi Kono	....	associate producer
Hirokazu Koreeda	....	producer
Yutaka Shigenobu	....	executive producer
Toshiro Uratani	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Titi Matsumura		(as Gontiti)
Gonzalez Mikami		(as Gontiti)

Cinematography by
Yutaka Yamasaki

Film Editing by
Hirokazu Koreeda

Casting by
Yoshiko Arae

Production Design by
Toshihiro Isomi
Keiko Mitsumatsu

Sound Department
Yutaka Tsurumaki	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Rinko Kawauchi	....	still photographer
Yuzuru Sato	....	gaffer
Yoshihisa Toda	....	assistant camera

Music Department
Titi Matsumura	....	musician
Gonzalez Mikami	....	musician

Other crew
Atsushi Naito	....	legal service

Production Companies

• Bandai Visual Company
• Cine Qua Non Films
• Dare mo Shiranai Seisaku Iinkai
• Engine Film
• TV Man Union (executive production)
• c-style

Distributors

• 791 Cine (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• ARP Sélection (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Capri Films (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cine Qua Non Films (Japan) (theatrical)
• Golden Scene (2004) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Rapid Eye Movies (2005) (Germany) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2004) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Amazonia Films (2005-2012) (Venezuela) (all media)
• Four Films (2007) (Chile) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• One Movie (2007) (Italy) (all media)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• trigon-film (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitled)

Other Companies

• Landmark Studio  recording studio
• Titra Film Paris  French subtitles
• Tokyo Monorail  transportation services

Also Known As:

Nobody Knows (International: English title) (USA) (literal English title)
Daremo shiranai - Nobody knows (Japan) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and some sexual references.

Runtime:

141 min | Argentina:141 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Sweden:11 | Taiwan:R-12 | Japan:U | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Italy:T | Hong Kong:IIA | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

Hirokazu Koreeda wrote the first draft of the screenplay fifteen years before the film was actually made. At that point it was titled "Wonderful Sunday" and unfolded from Akira's subjective point of view, ending with a fantasy sequence in which the entire family (the children, the mother and the various fathers) are reunited for a Sunday outing.

Quotes:

Kyoko: Guess Yuki grew.

Movie Connections:

Features Sonic the Hedgehog (1991/I) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Houseki

Absolutely Astounding!

There are very few films I have seen that had the power to affect me as deeply as Nobody Knows. As highly as I recommend it, I must also forewarn, that this film has power, some very serious power. To call Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows anything less than a masterpiece would be an insult to the story it tells. The craftsmanship we witness here, from the masterful direction to the outstanding performances that the children were able to commit to, are all something of incredible proportions.

Nobody Knows, which is a true story, tells of four siblings, ages 5-12, from different fathers, who live in a small apartment in Tokyo. At first, they live in the apartment with their childish Mother who is hardly ever home. With the exception of the oldest, Akira, the mother snuck the children in to keep the rent lower and prohibits them from ever leaving the apartment, even the veranda, for fear of them being seen. The children do not go to school. As they look after each other, all they do is patiently and affectionately wait for their mother to come home.

As the story progresses, the children wake up one morning to some money on the kitchen table with a note from their mother saying that she'll be home in a month. As Akira steps up and takes charge of the apartment, the bills, and his siblings, the children still hold hope that mother will be home soon. And then, Nobody Knows hits you like a truck and goes right through you. Complete Abandonment. The smiles diminish and the childish affection for a mother that will never return is gone. Gone to play mother to another family, it is now entirely up to Akira, with money running out.

Koreeda's direction of the children is exceptional, as if the film was shot entirely candid. The camera-work is sincere, as if we were one of the children stuck in that apartment. There are no gimmicks here, no slide of hand, or post-production miracles. Nobody Knows is raw, and thrives in Koreeda's ability to capture the distinct personalities of all four siblings, their hopes, and those secretive moments where Koreeda directs the children not for the stories sake, but for the sake of the children being children.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Nobody Knows is the performances of the four children. All four children, who conjured phenomenal performances, were played by Japanese youths with no film backgrounds. After you see the film, it is likely that Koreeda preferred it this way, tapping into the honesty and energy that such youth had to offer. Their performances are so sincere and beautiful that on several occasions the tears will start to fall, the goose bumps will rise, and your heart will undoubtedly cry out to rescue these children, to grab them in your arms and set them free.

Without giving too much away, one of the most touching scenes to me, is on Yuki's birthday, the only thing she wants is to be able to go outside for a walk with her big brother Akira. So when the night comes, she puts on her little bear slippers, an ear to ear smile on her face, and with her hand in her brothers hand, they set her heart free for if not only a night.

Nobody Knows is a film that I will never let go of. This film impacted me so much and I found it so absolutely remarkable, that it hasn't left my mind since it's viewing. I almost feel that recommending this film just isn't enough, and all I can say is that I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy this film for all that it is worth. As sure as it is to invoke emotion, it is as sure to please as a piece of cinema.