The filmmaker Mads K. Baekkevold discusses his debut feature having its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival, a film looking at the life, work and identity of chef Hidekazu Tojo, The Chef and the Daruma, with Joseph Planta.

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

For nearly forty years now, Tojo’s has been a popular mainstay in Vancouver’s food scene. One of the more anticipated documentaries of the year, The Chef and the Daruma had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival last night. And just before the screening, I talked to the film’s director Mads K. Baekkevold about this movie and what it was like working with Hidekazu Tojo as reveals so much about his life and work. The film retraces in a trip to Japan, what sort of upbringing it was, and how from early on to today, family was so important to Chef Tojo. We see the influence on his work and artistry as he narrates jobs he had in Japan in various kitchens before he immigrated to Canada in the early 1970s. Even in contemporary sequences, where Tojo dines throughout Japan, we see the clever inventor at work, taking in the tastes that might find its way back to Vancouver and his menus at the West Broadway location where he holds court nightly. I’ll also ask Mads about what it was like to make the movie, and the various pieces of advice that Tojo deploys throughout. One of the things we don’t talk about, and I purposely didn’t talk about it in our conversation is the Daruma, these dolls that appear throughout the film that are central in the goalsetting that Chef Tojo does through the year. They’re such a special part of Tojo’s outlook in life and how the film unfolds, that I’ll leave it to viewers to find out more about them. Mads K. Baekkevold is a freelance director, creative, writer, and editor. He has created content for various clients, including television commercials that have earned him two Cannes Lions awards, and a Clio. Visit https://www.madskarlsenb.com/ for more. The film screens at least three more times, and though they might be sold out by the time this runs, visit www.viff.org for updates on additional screenings. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mads Baekkevold; Mr. Baekkevold, good morning.

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