IFFR KINO #38: Nobody Knows

We’re happy to announce we’re back on the big screen for IFFR KINO! Join us for Season 7, with a screening every first Wednesday of the month, from March until June. First up is Nobody Knows (2004) by Kore-eda Hirokazu on 2 March at 21:00.

Züleyha Azman, KINO Rotterdam on Nobody Knows:
“Everybody has that one film they want everybody to see, for me that film is Nobody Knows, one of my IFFR favourites. Kore-eda Hirokazu’s craftsmanship as a storyteller and director all come together in this film, which for me, can be regarded as his best film (followed by Like Father, Like Son, 2013) and definitely should have earned him the Palme d’Or back in 2004, 14 years prior to Shoplifters (2018). 

The story, which is based on true events, almost entirely takes place in a tiny Tokyo apartment and yet keeps the viewer interested in the heartbreaking story and very small world of these abandoned children. This tragic story never becomes melodramatic, the director has a subtle way in showing (not telling) us the story, and yet the viewer can also feel the critical tone towards Japanese society as well. And of course, I can’t talk about this film without mentioning the beautiful performances by the child actors, all of whom were non-professionals. The performance by Yūya Yagira as the eldest son, Akira, won him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. 

If after this film you would like to see something similar, I can recommend the Taiwanese film A Time To Live and A Time to Die (1985) directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien. In the documentary Flowers of Taipei (previously on IFFR Unleashed), Kore-eda Hirokazu mentions that this film made him pursue a career in filmmaking, so it’s no coincidence these two films bear a lot of similarities in storytelling and style.” 

Wednesday 2 March, 21:00, KINO Rotterdam

Get your tickets via KINO Rotterdam