I’m proud of a lot of my friends, most of them commit themselves to their passions and thrive in doing what they love. So when I found out that old friends Jason and Christian had produced and directed a cinematic film, I counted the days till I got the chance to actually watch it. Jimami Tofu, in few words, is a beautiful journey through Okinawa. Seeing the forces of natural beauty, culinary seduction, and complex relationships find their place in this film is like witnessing poetry play itself out on screen – there are beautiful things to see but they are even more enjoyable because of how they interact.

The movie’s plot is not too complex. Ryan is a Singaporean chef who falls in love with food critic Yuki. After she suddenly leaves, Ryan travels to find her, ending up in Okinawa where she is from. He befriends Nami, Yuki’s childhood companion, who convinces him to stay and work for Sakumoto, a local chef. Sakumoto’s craft is in dynastic Okinawan cuisine with one of his star dishes being, as expected, jimami tofu. The story unfolds as Ryan grapples with understanding what it means to love, accept being loved and discover satisfaction.

The cast does a stellar job of embodying complex characters who struggle between tensions of being honest yet maintaining the performativity expected in both Japanese and Singaporean cultures. Rino Nakasone who plays Nami stole the movie for me with her ability to jump between being playful and adventurous to being vulnerable and open. Masane Tsukayama as Sakumoto transcends the old wise-man character by bringing depth and mastery to the dynamic and complex roles of mentor, villager, father-figure, and friend. The directors themselves will admit that Okinawa itself comes out wholesomely as a character in its own right, providing the contours and soundscapes that could be admired in isolation but are even more meaningful because of how the characters engage with them.

It is difficult to characterize what Jimami Tofu is. It is most definitely not just a love story, at least not the romantic man-woman variety that we are familiar with. It is, however, definitely a story of love and one that spans a number of categories. We see intergenerational love, fraternal love, love of a community and love of a craft all have their time on screen and each given the space to breathe. The movie moves at a pace that is comforting and yet purposeful in making us tune into every aspect of beauty portrayed. The senses are treated very much, and even though there’s no smell-o-vision, the sights of food on the screen have a surprisingly compelling effect on your palate.

I watched Jimami Tofu in GV Gold Class during the limited screening in Singapore and was very happy to reconnect with Jason and Christian. I had met them when they had just started doing mini-series productions on BananaMana Films and was already a fan of their work. To see their growth and to hear some of their struggles and victories from them firsthand were inspiring. I can only imagine that the future holds so many more opportunities for purposeful, beauty-driven films such as this.

For those looking to catch the film, there are hopes for a wide release in Singapore in the future. When it does come out, I highly recommend getting your ticket – if not to watch a phenomenal movie then at least to see the future of local cinema continue blooming. You will want to be in the front seat for that experience.

Here’s my rating of the movie below:

Cinematography: 5/5

Screenwriting: 5/5

Musical Score: 5/5

Acting/ Performance: 5/5

Overall: 5/5