Nobody Knows is a Japanese drama film released in 2004, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. The movie tells the heart-wrenching story of four siblings, aged between five and twelve, who live with their mother, Keiko, in a small apartment in Tokyo. The youngest child, Yuki, is the only one who goes to school. The other three, Akira, Kyoko, and Shigeru, are confined to the apartment and are forbidden from going outside, lest they be discovered and their family torn apart.
One day, Keiko abruptly leaves the children behind, giving them limited money for food and utilities, with a promise to return soon. However, she does not return, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Akira, the eldest, takes on the role of head of the family, caring for his siblings and trying to make ends meet with the little money they have.
As the days turn into weeks, Akira struggles to provide for his siblings, and they gradually run out of food and supplies. As they make do with whatever little they have, Akira slowly begins to lose his childlike innocence and takes on the realities of adult responsibility. He tries to keep the truth of their situation hidden from his siblings, but as their situation becomes more dire, their secret is exposed, and their world is changed forever.
The film is based on the true story of the Sugamo child abandonment case in 1988, where four children were abandoned by their mother and left to fend for themselves for over eight months. Nobody Knows depicts the resilience of children in the face of adversity and is a moving tribute to the bond between siblings. The film received critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including Best Actor and the Audience Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
