 
Nobody Knows
Set in Tokyo, Nobody Knows is the story
of four children forced to fend for themselves when The four young actors are wonderful; so much so, that Yagira Yuya (Akira) took home the Best Actor award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It’s a sad tale, made all the more tragic by its basis in fact, yet evolves in quiet beauty over the course of its lengthy running time.--David Bassin
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In Mad
Hot Ballroom, we follow several NYC public school fourth
and fifth graders around, as they practice their moves for the upcoming
citywide ballroom dance competition. In a period of ten weeks, they
learn the cha cha, foxtrot, rhumba, tango, swing and other steps, along
with lessons in partnership, responsibility and self-confidence. The
children are adorable and are surprisingly wise, considering their age.
This a real family film that can appeal to all ages on many levels -
a rare treat, indeed.
their mother deserts them. Keiko and her son Akira, move into a spacious
three-room apartment, but when the moving truck leaves, we discover
two more kids, Yuki and Shigeru, stashed away in suitcases and an older
daughter, Kyoko, sneaking into the building. Since the lease is only
for two, all of the siblings (except for Akira) have to remain indoors
and play quietly, so the landlord won’t suspect. Keiko appears
to be a hooker (although that question is never answered directly) and
vanishes for long stretches at a time, leaving Akira - a twelve year-old
boy, in charge of his siblings. Eventually, she disappears for good,
the money runs out and Akira fights to keep his brother and sisters
fed and hidden from the outside world.