A documentary film following the daily lives of four Japanese chefs as they create dishes within the rich culinary culture and landscape of Hokkaido was screened at a prestigious international film festival in northern Spain, known as one of the best gourmet cities in the world. "Kita no Syokukei" ("Northern Food Story"), directed by Tetsuya Uesugi in his feature debut, made a splash at the annual San Sebastian Film Festival held in late September, which has a tradition of more than 70 years and is second in status only to the three major Cannes, Venice and Berlin international film festivals. The film explores traditional Japanese cuisine, French cuisine and sushi, following the chefs for a year to not only chronicle their daily lives but show how they work hand in hand with the farmers in the communities to pursue the culinary arts on the northern island.
Takeshi Takahashi, 61, owner of French restaurant La Sante in the prefectural capital city of Sapporo, was among the four, along with Hiroshi Sakai, 56, of the Japanese restaurant Ajidokoro in the town of Kuriyama, in a subprefecture of Hokkaido. The film also showcases the dazzling scenery and snowy landscapes of Hokkaido. The others are Kaori Yoshida, the head chef and farm manager of Agriscape, a circular agriculture restaurant about a 20-minute drive from Sapporo, and Junnosuke Kawasaki, a sushi chef who runs Maru Zushi in the Susukino entertainment district of Sapporo.
The film was planned and produced by Creative Off.
