Inspired by an infamous true story that made headlines in Japan in 1988, this tough yet tender film from writer-director, Hirokazu Koreeda, follows the lives of four children left to fend for themselves by their wayward mother.

Having smuggled her family into a new apartment under the landlord's nose, Kyoko puts her 12 year old son Akira in charge of the youngsters and after a brief period of relative family harmony, disappears. Akira manages as best he can, but limited means and the cramped confines of the apartment force this unorthodox family unit to re-shape their narrow existence to suit their physical and emotional needs.

Thanks to the engaging performances by a cast of non-professional child actors and Koreeda's natural style (including structuring the film by season), Nobody Knows effectively couples documentary realism with a lightly poetic, child's eye view of the world. Steering clear of sentimentality, the film gathers an impressive and unstoppable emotional momentum.