| The Chef and the Daruma | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mads K. Baekkevold |
| Written by | Natalie Murao |
| Produced by | Luis Guerra |
| Starring | Hidekazu Tojo Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi |
| Cinematography | Kaayla Whachell |
| Edited by | Anna Chiyeko Shannon |
| Music by | Masahiro Takahashi |
Production company | Wallop Film |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Languages | English Japanese |
The Chef and the Daruma is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Mads K. Baekkevold and released in 2024.[1] The film is a portrait of Hidekazu Tojo, a Japanese immigrant to Canada who became a prominent chef on the Vancouver restaurant scene and has been credited by some sources as the inventor of California roll,[2] It blends both contemporary documentary footage and dramatic reenactments of scenes from Tojo's early life, with young Tojo performed by actor Gabriel Prevost-Takahashi.
The film premiered at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival,[3] where it was the winner of the Audience Award for the Insights program.[4]
The film proved so popular that VIFF had to add two additional screenings during the festival,[5] and seven post-festival screenings at the VIFF Centre through the rest of October.[6] Tojo also introduced a special "The Chef and the Daruma" menu at his restaurant in conjunction with the film.[6]