Muddy River

Osaka, 1956. Nobuo is growing up in his parents' small riverside eating house. One day a boat ties up on the opposite bank with Kiichi and his sister living aboard it, and the two boys become friends. Nobuo slowly learns what living on that boat means, and Kiichi learns what a warm table means. Kōhei Oguri's first film shows a country still not recovered eleven years after the war, seen by children. Shot in black and white, quiet, never underlining anything; what it is really about is the day the difference in class between the two boys becomes visible. It was nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign language film.