JSNO Japanese Cinema Series Screening: "The Zen Diary”

In Partnership with The Shop, Japan Society of New Orleans' Japanese Cinema Series presents a free screening of the Yuki Nakae film... The Zen Diary!

• Date: Thursday, August 28th 
• Time: Doors open @ 6:30pm, Screening starts @ 7pm
• Place: The Shop at the CAC (3rd Floor), 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
• Cost: FREE! Open to the public!

Screening will take place on the third floor. All ages welcome! Tell your friends, and hope to see you there!

Movie Summary: 

A writer lives alone in a mountain cottage.  He makes Zen monastery food that he learned at a Zen monastery and enjoys the fruits of nature.  A tale told throughout the beauty of four seasons and takes a deep look at what true wealth might actually be.

Tsutomu (SAWADA Kenji), is an aging writer who moved to a cottage in the mountains and writes essays in Nagano Prefecture, west of Tokyo, known for its beautiful mountain range.  He lives day-to-day, carefully making simple meals that he learned from a Zen monk at a monastery he grew up in.  He uses vegetables he grew himself and wild plants that he foraged.  Machiko (MATSU Takako) is an editor who visits Tsutomu once in a while from Tokyo and who enjoys Tsutomu's cooking.  The story explores the ways in which we can live a life with care and questions what true wealth might be through the life of one man who lives his days loving nature, making food and being grateful for being able to share a meal with someone else.

Based on an essay by novelist MIZUKAMI Tsutomu-a popular writer in the 1960s-70s-about his own experiences.  Popular cook DOI Yoshiharu brilliantly recreates the Zen monastery food.

Tsutomu is played by SAWADA Kenji who is one of Japan's biggest popstars with an accomplished acting career including leading roles in films by masters such as SUZUKI Seijun.

The film does depict alcohol consumption.