Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme: Noriben – The Recipe For Fortune

のんちゃんのり弁 (Nonchan no noriben)

Komaki (Manami Konishi) is a 31-year-old woman who decides to leave husband, a jobless aspiring writer, and move back to her hometown, a small working-class district in Tokyo with her young daughter Non-chan. After the ‘noriben’ lunch box (a "bento" featuring toasted "nori" (seaweed) on rice) that she packed for Non-chan becomes a huge hit at school, Komaki decides to try and make ends meet by opening her own "bento" shop and offering inexpensive but undoubtedly delicious food.

This heartfelt human drama about a woman’s journey to independence features home cuisine created by food stylist Nami Iijima whose simple but appetising creations have also appeared in films such as Kamome Diner and Chef of the South Pole. It is guaranteed to whet your appetite!

The Recipe For Fortune, dir. Akira Ogata, Japan 2009, 107 mins, Japanese with English subtitles

Special ticket offer: four tickets for the price of three!

The ICA Cinema is now completely ad-free. Please note that there will be no trailers shown before this feature. This film is rated PG.