Playing at the Vancouver International Film Festival

Oct 2, 12:30 pm, International Village
Oct 5, 1:15 pm, Fifth Avenue
For additional showtimes, please visit the VIFF webpage

Anyone who loves sushi will appreciate how Chef Hidekazu Tojo helped popularise this delight in the west. He’s also credited as the person who invented the California Roll because one person’s wife didn’t like how the authentic stuff tasted. In Mads K. Baekkevold‘s debut work, The Chef and the Daruma travels back in time to look at who this man is. This documentary vividly tells the story of the boy who lived through a rough life before he found his peace. The cardboard doll he uses to help bring peace is magical.

It’s said that when you paint one eye on the Daruma, it will help motivate that person moving forward. Any luck and fortune that happens will be good. At the end of the year, should those dreams be achieved, all the gratitude gets sent heaven forth, and therein lies the beauty of this tale.

When this individual first arrived in Vancouver, he faced a lot of hurdles. The worst thing was racism. The government mistreated those immigrants much the same way as the local indigenous people. They were herded into camps when World War II happened. Although some fought for “our home and native land” as a Japanese-Canadian, some only saw what was on the surface. The apology would not arrive soon, and when this work includes examining the social political milieu Hikaru faced every day, it’s easy to understand why he found strength in spirituality and also diving deep into the art of sushi-making. When he knew he had to innovate, that’s when folks started noticing.

Food-wise, he has to savour and identify where the essence comes from. The mouth-watering dishes are presented for all to savour, and I’ve known about him for a long time. After seeing this work, I want to visit his restaurant! For me, it’s the question of when I can make the effort. His base of operations is in the City of Vancouver proper (not the downtown inlet). And transportation is limited. Quite often, I’m visiting for a concert or convention, which keeps me occupied for much of the day! I’d love to talk to him about the finer points of cooking and sourcing his ingredients. Also, he’s learned a few tricks.

As for whether he’s part of the same movement as ethically harvesting proteins so that the best flavours come from a merry creature, that’s something I have to ask. He knows how to find that at the farm, but there’s more to fine dining than simply gathering the pieces, and having a relationship with those farmers who provide the essentials to his kitchen! This city is home to more than one mover and shaker, and after watching Tanagokoro: A Culinary Portrait (movie review), I’d like to see how much has changed locally.

I appreciate the fact this work is multifaceted. Not only is it a telling biography but also a perfect look at the history of a city that shaped his world views. Whether it’s all good or bad, to see how he’s come up on top says it all.

5 Blokes out of 5