In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.
Acting
Yuya Yagira won Cannes at 14 — no adults came close.
Direction
Kore-eda shot chronologically; kids actually grew up on camera.
Production
Based on real 1988 Sugamo child abandonment case.
Director
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Sugamo children were never discovered; Kore-eda invented the ending to give audiences hope they never got.
The film exposes Japan's 'hidden' poverty and the cultural pressure to maintain appearances — these kids starve in silence because speaking up would shame the family.
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