Story

A Chinese Singaporean chef, formerly working in Tokyo, finds himself in Okinawa begging a disgruntled old chef to
teach him traditional Okinawan food. A top Japanese food critic finds herself in Singapore on an eye opening
discovery of SEA cuisine. In reality both are looking for each other after an emotional breakup years ago when she
left him without a trace. Emotionally crippled by their breakup, he searches her home-town for her but discovers
instead the art of traditional Okinawan food and her childhood best friend. He learns the incredible balance of two
cultures: Chinese and Japanese - the homely, warmth of Chinese style cooking with the artistry of Japanese cuisine:a balance they never had in their relationship. Family secrets also unravel and when she suddenly appears in Okinawa looking to find closure he cooks and serves her their final meal. Through it she discovers what she has
been yearning for all these years.

Notes

Okinawa/Singapore film, Jimami Tofu, had its world premiere at the 37th Hawaii International Film
Festival (USA) in Nov 2017. Filmed in Okinawa, Japan and Singapore, the film is executive produced by Singapore
company BananaMana Films. Intertwining romance, food and the theme of homecoming, the film is an homage to
Okinawa - in particular the rustic, village life and its traditional Ryukyu cuisine. Subsidised by the Okinawa
Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVB) Okinawa Film Office and completed in under 1 year - the results pleasantly
surprised them.
“We believe this film is the most successful film we have funded. We never expected a Singapore company to
be able to create a film that paints such a realistic, yet romantic picture of Okinawa. The filmmakers, Jason and
Christian, showed such a deep understanding of Okinawan life and culture but it was done so naturally and with
ease. It has made many Okinawans and our film office very proud. We believe this film will travel well and hope
it will bring many new visitors from around the world.” - OCVB, Okinawa Film Office.

Cast

Jason Chan
Mari Yamamoto
Rino Nakasone
Masane Tsukayama
Christian Lee

Director・Work Data