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Experience a year in the life of self-taught Japanese ramen master Masamoto Ueda. Soak in the nostalgia at his legendary ramen shop, Bizentei, where the gregarious master has been serving his traditional Tokyo-style ramen to die-hard fans for more than forty years. And tag along with him and some of his regulars on their weekend culinary adventures across Japan’s picturesque countryside — harvesting gourmet pears, digging up bamboo shoots, mountain yams, and more.
Festivals
- Hot Docs, Special Presentations, Canada (2021)
- Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia (2021)
- Toronto Food Film Festival, Canada (2021)
- Bergen IFF, Norway (2021)
- "Best Feature Documentary", Devour! The Food Film Fest, Canada (2021)
- Denver FF, USA (2021)
- Hawaii IFF, USA (2021)
- DOC NYC, International Competition, USA (2021)
- FIPADOC, Taste of Doc competition, France (2022)
- Bellville Downtown Docfest, Canada (2022)
- "Best Documentary", Sonoma IFF, USA (2022)
- EIDF (EBS International Documentary Film Festival), South Korea (2022)
- IIFF2022, International Intangible Heritage Film Festival, South Korea (2022)
- Genuss Festival Zug, Switzerland (2022)
- "Audience Award Documentary", Japannual - Japanische Filmtage Wien, Austria (2022)
- SIFF DocFest, USA (2022)
- Cork International Film Festival, Ireland (2022)
- "Audience and Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) Awards", Japanese Film Festival, Ireland (2023)
- Beholders Film Festival, The Netherlands (2023)
More info
"While this cozy, heartwarming doc is about the artistry of an excellent bowl of soup, it is just as much about the power of community and connection. (...) It’s one of the best picks at Hot Docs if you’re burnt out on pandemic docs and ready for a feel-good watch."
- Madeline Lines, POV Magazine“I've lived in Japan. I've written extensively on the food culture of Japan. This is probably the best movie I've ever seen on the topic.”
– Adam Platt, chief restaurant critic for New York MagazineWinner of the Golden Tine Award for Best Feature Documentary at Devour! The Food FilmFest (Canada 2021): "The jury commented that this life-affirming film about a husband-and-wife duo running their Tokyo ramen shop to devoted customers truly reflects the spirit of Devour!, bringing food and community together."
Theatrical releases: in Australia via DEMAND Film and in Canada via Game Theory (July 2022) and New Zealand via Limelight Distribution (August 25, 2022).
Synopsis
Experience a year in the life of self-taught Japanese ramen master Masamoto Ueda. Soak in the nostalgia at his legendary ramen shop, Bizentei, where the gregarious master has been serving his traditional Tokyo-style ramen to die-hard fans for more than forty years. And tag along with him and some of his regulars on their weekend culinary adventures across Japan’s picturesque countryside — harvesting gourmet pears, digging up bamboo shoots, mountain yams, and more.
Festivals
- Hot Docs, Special Presentations, Canada (2021)
- Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia (2021)
- Toronto Food Film Festival, Canada (2021)
- Bergen IFF, Norway (2021)
- "Best Feature Documentary", Devour! The Food Film Fest, Canada (2021)
- Denver FF, USA (2021)
- Hawaii IFF, USA (2021)
- DOC NYC, International Competition, USA (2021)
- FIPADOC, Taste of Doc competition, France (2022)
- Bellville Downtown Docfest, Canada (2022)
- "Best Documentary", Sonoma IFF, USA (2022)
- EIDF (EBS International Documentary Film Festival), South Korea (2022)
- IIFF2022, International Intangible Heritage Film Festival, South Korea (2022)
- Genuss Festival Zug, Switzerland (2022)
- "Audience Award Documentary", Japannual - Japanische Filmtage Wien, Austria (2022)
- SIFF DocFest, USA (2022)
- Cork International Film Festival, Ireland (2022)
- "Audience and Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) Awards", Japanese Film Festival, Ireland (2023)
- Beholders Film Festival, The Netherlands (2023)
More info
"While this cozy, heartwarming doc is about the artistry of an excellent bowl of soup, it is just as much about the power of community and connection. (...) It’s one of the best picks at Hot Docs if you’re burnt out on pandemic docs and ready for a feel-good watch."
- Madeline Lines, POV Magazine“I've lived in Japan. I've written extensively on the food culture of Japan. This is probably the best movie I've ever seen on the topic.”
– Adam Platt, chief restaurant critic for New York MagazineWinner of the Golden Tine Award for Best Feature Documentary at Devour! The Food FilmFest (Canada 2021): "The jury commented that this life-affirming film about a husband-and-wife duo running their Tokyo ramen shop to devoted customers truly reflects the spirit of Devour!, bringing food and community together."
Theatrical releases: in Australia via DEMAND Film and in Canada via Game Theory (July 2022) and New Zealand via Limelight Distribution (August 25, 2022).