This debut film from Japanese director Akira Ogata centers on the friendship     between two young boys who are obsessed with singing. Young Michio, a chronic    stutterer, is sent to a remote Japanese boarding school after the death of his   father. While there, he bonds with Yasuo, the star soprano in the boy's choir. This coming-of-age drama was the winner of the Alfred Bauer Award at the 2000  Berlinale Film Festival. In Japanese with English subtitles.                   Akira Ogata---Japan---1999---130 mins.