Nobody knows (Dare Mo Shiranai) (Japan, 2004)

'Nobody knows' (Dare mo Shiranai) is a Japanese film by Hirokazu Koreeda. It's about a single mother who moves into a small appartment. At first it seems she has only one child, but two more childs are hidden in suitcases, while another child has to picked up at the train station.

This mom leaves her children to chase her own happiness and her twelve year old son has to be responsible for her children. As you can guess, money is short and the children have to find a way living without gas, water and electricity.

It's based on a true story but this film is less miserable. The children seem okay, while in real they were poorly developed (they couldn't go to school).

This film is really great. It contains all things necessary. Though it's painfull to watch there are sweet warm and funny moments. Above all it is heartbreaking to watch, luckily it doesn't rely entirely on the tragic part of the story. Though in the end it will probably make you feel very depressed.

It lacks any action, but if you wanna try some great film which you have never seen before you just have to go to get this film!

Diary of June / Yu-wol-ui il-gi (Korea, 2005)

Diary of June is also known as 'Bystanders' and to my opinion that is the better name for this movie.

It's a film which in the beginning looks like a normal detective movie which has it's funny, exciting and sad parts. But it is more than this. When I finished it I only had one thing in mind, that I just saw a very disturbing movie.

The stoty deals about a boy who has written an advanced diary. In school he always gets bullied and in his diary he desribes how he would kill them. It's a way of releasing his pressure. After he committed suicide, his mother (which is played by the always fantastic actress Yunjin Kim, most people will know her for her role in 'Lost') who is a bit psychic starts to really kill the guys which her son described in his diary. She was an old friend of the detective that leads the investigation.

Like I said.. this story seems interesting but also not very fresh. And than the empasis in this movie starts to change. It doesn't deal too much on this child and his mother (ofcourse they are important and the focus point in the story) but it deals about 'bystanders'. People who see things happen but don't dare to raise a hand or lift a finger.

To be honest, probaly 90 % of all people would do nothing when something bad happens. We keep telling ourselves 'it has nothing to do with me'. And this film shows this message clearly, how such thoughts will ruin you and how you can get lost in life cause you also could never forget those moments.

It's disturbing to see how a teacher knows this kid is being bullied but thinks it will end sooner or later, how two girls see that another girl is being held by a few guys and about to be killed just turn a blind eye and walk on. The end is very different from most movies!

And this makes it an interesting movie to watch and a pretty good one too. In my opinion they could have made more of it but maybe it would be too heavy than. Now it's a bit cold and not too close, but I guess when it would have more emphasized on your feeling it would have been too hard to watch. Not a very famous movie, but when you have the chance...please watch it. It deserves it!

Ninja Festival and ethnic Zhuang celebration

Today some wonderful pictures of Festivals in Asia!



In Iga, Japan, there is a festival during the first from April till the sixth of May. This city, with a population of 100.00 attracts about 30.000 visitors. It features ninja-inspired dance performances, competitions and opportunities to practice ninja skills.



In China there is another festival. It's a traditional festival that is called 'San Yue San', which means that it is the third day of the third months acoording to the Lunar calender. It's a celebration of the Zhuang ethnic group in Wuming, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Aoi Miyazaki and what makes her one of the most beautiful actresses on this planet

There are moments in life when you walk on the street or are watching a movie you get hit by the absolute pure beauty of a person. At that moment you seem to understand the essence of beauty. What does attract you so much is not really clear but it just does. This magical force that totally surrounds you.
Well it happened to me as well. While watching the Korean drama ‘Virgin snow’ (First snow - Gyeoul yeonga)I was introduced to the Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki (Tokyo, 1985). And I have to admit, I was completely stunned by her beauty. She has something that is pure, something that really finds the way to soften your heart.

What is it that she possesses? Yes, she is really, really beautiful, but not in the standard kind of way. In this movie she doesn’t wear sexy clothing, but just plain white clothes in the beginning. Maybe white adds to her purity.
In Asian cinema there is a total different culture of the clothing people wear. Where in the western countries we often see too much of a person with too tight shirts in Asian cinema (especially in China and Korea) it’s more reserved. It often does not even accentuate the body but it really makes the body. Because you have to compensate the attention is brought back to the beauty or purity of clothing. And this is what makes an actress already far more beautiful. One of the best examples is when Aoi Miyazaki wears a red Kimono in Virgin Snow. It’s just beyond words, true beauty.
True beauty still lies in the face of people and this is what, in my opinion, makes Aoi Miyazaki one of the most beautiful women on this planet and in Virgin snow she is in the bloom of her beauty. Her purity and softness of her face will get to anyones heart.

Memorial ceremony in Fuzhou

On the 6th of April there was a memorial ceremony held in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. The 420th anniversary of a death was celebrated this day. So you ask who is this lucky one? Well he is called Qi Jiguang, a general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He is famous for his fighting against Japanese pirates!

It's very clear indeed that China's still don't like Japan, so you have to honour your heroes with a memorial day! But ofcourse it is wonderful tradition is still being continued. Maybe I even will look for further information on this man, this Qi Jiguang.

Brotherhood of war / Taegukgi hwinalrimyeo (South-Korea, 2004)

The Brotherhood 0f war is a movie that deals about the war in the beginning of the '50s between communist North- and democratic South-Korea by director Je-gyu Kang.
Two brothers have to go into duty and fight against the communists. While Jin-Seok (Won Bin) is a student, Jin Tae (Jang Dong-gun) is a shoemaker. Jin Tae wants his brother to be safe and to return home so he's got into the plan to win a special medal which allows his brother to go home. To get this medal he has to volunteer for very dangerous operations which is disliked by his younger brother.

Slowly they both grow into very different persons, which is beautifully shown as the impact a war can have on a persons personality.


This film contains heavy violence, one of the most shocking scenes I even seen in war films like the execution of common villagers. It's not really focussed on history but rather on the emotional parts of individuals. It's about exploring your own evil when you face war, something you never seen before. People who change into something dark, who don't recognize friends anymore but only see light in killing the enemy.

One of the most impressive and interesting parts can be seen when the South-Koreans (with help of the United Nations, seem to have liberated (or defeated the communists at) North-Korea. Nothing is less true, the next shot shows us the coming of at least 100.000 Chinese soldiers whohave come to help North-Korea.
It's a really strong movie about a war that in western culture seems to be a forgotten war.