Muddy River

is a 1981 Japanese drama film directed by Kōhei Oguri. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Silver Prize. Plot In the summer of 1956, Two boys, whose parents ply their trade by the mouth of a muddy river in Osaka, become close friends. The two families' "businesses" are in fact dining and prostitution. When Nobuo, the restaurateur's son, loses his pocket money during the Tenjin Festival, Kiichi, the prostitute's boy, invites him home, and he learns the truth. Cast Takahiro Tamura as Shinpei Itakura Mariko Kaga as Shoko Matsumoto, Kiichi and Ginko's mother Nobutaka Asahara as Nobuo Itakura Makiko Shibata as Ginko Matsumoto Minoru Sakurai as Kiichi Matsumoto Yumiko Fujita as Sadako Itakura, Nobuo's mother Gannosuke Ashiya as Shinoda, the horse cart man See also List of submissions to the 54th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film List of Japanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film