Nobody Knows (2004)

Nobody Knows (誰も知らない, Dare mo Shiranai) is a 2004 Japanese drama film based on the 1988 Sugamo child abandonment case. The film is written, produced, directed and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda, and it stars Yuya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, and Hiei Kimura.

Nobody Knows tells the story of four children: Akira, Kyōko, Shigeru, and Yuki, who are aged between twelve and five years old. They are half-siblings, with each of them having a different father. Because the three youngest children are in the apartment illegally without the landlord's knowledge or permission, they cannot go outside or be seen in the apartment, and they do not attend school. Their mother leaves them alone for weeks, and finally does not return. Forced over time to survive on their own, 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 received widespread critical acclaim, and it grossed over US$11 million worldwide. It won several awards, most notably Best Actor at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival as well as Best Film and Best Director awards at the 47th Blue Ribbon Awards. At the time Yuya Yagira became the youngest Best Actor winner in the history of the Cannes Film Festival. It was Japan's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.