World Premiere
For 36 years, Tojo’s has been a mainstay in the Vancouver food scene, beloved by critics, foodies, and a plethora of celebrities. A pioneer of Japanese cuisine in the West, chef Hidekazu Tojo helped bring sushi to the mainstream and is known as the inventor of the California Roll. Still working in his seventies, chef Tojo is inspired to look back on his life and ponder the legacy he will leave behind. He recalls his early years as a Japanese immigrant, coming to Canada at the age of 21, and his ambition to create a singular culinary path. We also accompany the chef on a return trip to Japan, where he connects with locals and explores new food trends.
Shot in Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and Japan, The Chef & the Daruma is a mouth-watering film tracing a journey of immigration, identity, and reinvention. Mads K. Baekkevold, in his first feature documentary, creates a loving tribute to a man who has devoted his life to sharing food.
The October 3 screening of The Chef & the Daruma is a Relaxed Screening. Relaxed Screenings are open to ANYONE who would benefit from a less restrictive and sensory-friendly experience. Learn more about Relaxed Screenings here.
Sept 30: Q&A with director Mads K. Baekkevold; editor Anna Chiyeko Shannon; executive producer Matt Lawrence Dix; writer/producer Natalie Murao; producer Luis Guerra; and Hidekazu Tojo & Momoko Tojo
Oct 5: Q&A with director Mads K. Baekkevold; executive producer Matt Lawrence Dix; producers Natalie Murao & Luis Guerra; and Hidekazu Tojo & Momoko Tojo
Supported by
Media Partner
Hidekazu Tojo
Canada
2024
In English and Japanese with English subtitles
Coarse language
Open to youth at SFU Woodwards & Lochmaddy Studio Theatre
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Matt Lawrence Dix
Producer
Luis Guerra
Screenwriter
Natalie Murao
Cinematography
Kaayla Whachell
Editor
Anna Chiyeko Shannon
Production Design
Megan MacAulay
Original Music
Masahiro Takahashi
Mads K. Baekkevold
Mads K. Baekkevold, born in Norway and earning a BA in film directing at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore, has built his career while constantly on the move.
From working as a senior creative at Media.Monks in Amsterdam to working through Asia and being part of a Cannes Lions-awarded creative team, Mads has a curiosity for people, their stories, their customs—and, of course, food.
Now based in the Pacific Northwest, he has completed his latest film, The Chef & the Daruma (2024), alongside writer and creative producer Natalie Murao.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Every Little Thing
If you thought Flow was an emotional rollercoaster, wait til you meet Cactus and Wasabi, baby hummingbirds fighting for their lives under the loving care of hummingbird-whisperer Terry Masear, an Angelino who makes it her mission to nurse injured birds.
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Aardman Animation's handcrafted mix of dad jokes, slapstick, mock dramatics and understated emotion makes this return for the claymation odd couple a constant delight. The villainous Feathers McGraw is back to no good, commandeering Norbot the robot. Rated: G
Memories of Murder
Parasite director Bong Joon-ho's police procedural is the centrepiece of our retrospective and arguably his masterpiece. Certainly, among serial killer movies this one is on a par with Zodiac and The Silence of the Lambs, but more politically astute.
Okja
Bong #6: his wackiest movie, centered on a genetically modified super pig the size of a hippo. Raised by a Korean peasant farmer, prize specimen Okja is called to New York to launch its new food product. But animal liberationists mean to disrupt the show.