Join us for a special film series coinciding with the OH!Bento exhibition! Taking place in April and June, these free film screenings feature titles that embody the spirit of bento, and its role in strengthening human connections through food.
DIR ATSUSHI KANESHIGE / 2020 / 119 MINS / CAST: YOSHIHIKO INOHARA, SHUNSUKE MICHIEDA / JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES / UNCLASSIFIED: ALL AGES (MILD THEMES AND COARSE LANGUAGE)
Kazuki Suzuki (Yoshihiko Inohara) has divorced his wife of many years. His son Koki (Shunsuke Michieda) decided to go with his father, but because he’s at the sensitive age of 15, Kazuki is wracked with guilt that he may have ruined his son’s life. To make things worse, almost immediately afterwards Koki fails his high school entrance exams.
Kazuki had always been a free spirit, who’d told Koki that there was more to life than school, and that he should focus on his own happiness. But Koki’s decision was that he wanted to go to high school. And in spring of the next year, he successfully passes his exams. Kazuki asks him a question: “What do you want to do for lunch at school? Do you want me to give you money for the cafeteria, or would you rather I make it for you?” “I want you to make lunch for me, dad.”
From this moment was born an important promise: one of them would go to school every day without a single absence, and the other would make him a homemade meal for every single lunch for his entire time in high school. These lunches become a point of interaction throughout their busy lives. Even on days after concerts, days when he’s hung over, or days when he has to work early… Kazuki’s lunch-making frenzy is about to begin.
To learn more about the film, please click here.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION:
Discover the world of bento boxes with OH!Bento, an exhibition that celebrates this universally loved aspect of Japan’s rich food culture. Featuring the works of three Japanese artists, OH!Bento seeks to unveil the entire bento experience, from the careful preparation of this portable packed lunchbox to its completion and eventual consumption. Through this process, bento has the power to strengthen human relationships, like a gift that contains a story connecting the preparer and the eater.
From traditional magewappa (bent wooden containers) to elegant shо̄kadо̄ (lacquered lunch boxes), bento boxes come in all shapes and sizes. Since their practical origins as a means of transporting food, bento boxes have evolved to become the symbol of a traditional culture of sharing in Japan. OH!Bento showcases how the simple yet meaningful practice of giving a bento can act as an unspoken channel for the creation of deep human connections.
For more information about the OH!Bento exhibition, please click here.
OH!Bento will be held at The Japan Foundation Gallery from March 17 to July 29, 2023.
Header image: © "461 Days of Bento: A Promise Between Father and Son" Production Committee
