LOGLINE

A documentary about food education in Japan; about the people who teach us that our actions - even what we eat - matter.

SYNOPSIS

This is a documentary about food education in Japan. It is a story of patience and persistence; how consistent effort can teach children and adults alike how we are connected. We're connected through what we eat, who grows our food, and how it becomes nourishment for the body and soul.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

This is a documentary about the promise of the future as seen through food. Filled with thoughtful interviews and compelling scenery – Nourishing Japan will compare the work and labor of adults, the joy of childhood, and the bounty of our world. We strive to make a film filled with small, quiet details which will transform a scene into something magical and meaningful. Humans lives are shaped and regulated by the food we eat, and we hope to craft a film which pulls the reader along into a unique and inspiring world of food education. Nature, lightheartedness, and generosity will prevail in how we hope to capture and frame a scene. It will be a film full of food and its environs – a film that strives to reconnect us with the land, and understand our interconnectivity and reliance on the natural world. This will be done through a visual exploration of the simple, everyday rituals we all create. The farmer in his field. The nutritionist planning her lesson. The children washing their hands. The tomato quivering on the vine. Nourishing Japan will help to reveal the importance and stability that our daily meals provide. Nourishing Japan is a film of earnestness and simplicity. It is a world that we the viewer could feel instantly a part of, and despite its foreignness seem utterly familiar. This documentary will share with the viewers the quieter glimpse of Japan: farmlands, neighborhoods, simple city streets, the vegetable patch schoolyard, the children in the classroom. Ultimately, we hope to share a hopeful vision of the world that connects us through what we eat. A vision of the world that shows us that together we can create something good for generations to come.

KEY CREW

Kevin Senzaki - Adviser/Editing

A graduate of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, some of Kevin's other sound credits include the award-winning short film Tsuyako, the E3 trailer for Mass Effect 3, and numerous YouTube videos for channels like Corridor Digital, Epic Meal Time, and Pwnisher. Highlights of Kevin's other illustrious accomplishments include performing metal scream vocals, illustrating a wildly unsuccessful web comic, and an ill-conceived novel about cyberpunk whaling.

Adam Hacker - Adviser

Adam develops multi–platform media projects with clients and collaborators from all over the world. His credits include works for Nikon, PBS, Adaptive Studios, Hertz Car Rental, JapanTravel, YouTuber sWooZie, Persistent Productions, Ben Taylor Music, Brickfish Digital Ad Agency, and more. Adam is a member of the Television Academy, an award-winning photographer, director, and producer.

Tamiki Mizuno - Japan Liaison/Adviser

Tamiki formerly worked for the U.S. Government State Department. He lived and worked in the U.S. and Mexico as the chief executive of a Japanese ceramic manufacturing and sales company. He is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors and also the Board of Trustees of Nagoya International School.

Hiroaki Sato - Translation Support

Hiroaki Sato is a Japanese poet and prolific translator who writes frequently for The Japan Times. He has been called"perhaps the finest translator of contemporary Japanese poetry into American English."

Chris Whittaker - Composer

Composer, conductor, pianist Chris Whittaker’s musical language of classical, jazz, and gospel music melds genres and brings people together. His compositions have been performed and broadcast throughout the United States.

Hiroko M. - Japan Liaison/Translator

Hiroko is a fashion designer, businesswoman, and translator who spends her time working between New York and Nagoya, Japan. She supports Nourishing Japan in the capacity of translator and Japan liaison.