ZEN MOVIE NIGHT AT THE FREER MUSEUM. Friday April 7th, 2023 – 7P “The Zen Diary” film at Meyer Auditorium in the Smithsonian Freer Gallery. Admission free, ticket required. ABZS is supporting the showing with a live demonstration of Oryoki practice and providing a small to go box to sample Japanese meal preparation with directions, mindful cooking instructions and references for further zen food practice. Get tickets to see the film here. Tickets are free of charge.
Based on an essay by Tsutomu Mizukami, director Yuji Nakae presents a modest film of gratitude and Zen revolving around the art of simple cooking. Former Zen monk Tsutomu (Kenji Sawada) lives alone in the mountains, writing essays and cooking food with vegetables he grows and shoots, sprouts, and mushrooms he picks in the hills. His routine is happily disturbed when Machiko, his editor/love interest, occasionally visits. She loves to eat, and he loves to cook for her. Tsutomu seems content with his daily life, but on the other hand, he still hasn’t let go of his wife’s ashes, though she died thirteen years ago. When Tsutomu’s mother-in-law suddenly passes, it sets in motion a review of life and its meaning. Depicting the changing seasons in beautiful mountainous rural Japan, The Zen Diary features rich cuisine made from seasonal produce in the style of Zen cooking, inspiring many of the meals that are foundational to Japanese cooking. Description adapted from the Hawai’i International Film Festival. After the film, watch a demonstration of the formal Zen food serving practice, Oryoki, by members of the All Beings Zen Sangha, and pick up a free package of ingredients and instructions for preparing your own Zen meal at home. (Dir.: Yuji Nakae, Japan, 2022, 111 min., DCP, Japanese with English subtitles)
