Tampopo

Juzo Itami’s rapturous “ramen western” returns to U.S. screens for the first time in decades thanks to a new restoration.

The tale of an enigmatic band of ramen ronin who guide the widow of a noodle shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, the films serves up a savory broth of culinary adventure seasoned with offbeat comedy sketches and the erotic exploits of a gastronome gangster. Sweet, sexy, surreal, and mouthwatering, it remains one of the most delectable examples of food on film. Winner of two Japanese Academy Awards for Best Editing and for Best Sound.

Juzo Itami is one of Japan’s most celebrated artists, getting his start as an actor in television before directing several highly-acclaimed films. His 1992 satire MINBO led to a government crackdown on the yakuza and a subsequent attack, which left him hospitalized. He later died under suspicious circumstances, which inspired his brother-in-law, Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburō Ōe, to write The Changeling about their friendship.

Presented in Japanese language with English subtitles.