The film I've chosen to review is Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about Jiro Ono and his life-long obsession with Sushi and perfecting his craft. The nice thing about this film, and the reason I think it would be good to show to a group of High School students, is that it's not just about the food (tho it is) it's also about the culture of Japan and specifically the familial relationship between Jiro and his son, and how one is brought up in Japan. It has a nice balance of this cultural exchange, along with the discussion of what makes Sushi such an important food for Jiro personally, and for others in Japan.
This would be a really nice film to tie in with the book that Professor Yamashita is writing about Japan's food history, perhaps with a little food-culture-potluck day thrown in for good measure, to give the kids something tangible to experience. Food is always an in with High School students! And to be able to give students an insight into the culture of this east asian country, through a lot of little relatable experiences of food, and dishes, and how things are prepared, is a good way to generate interest for further exploration in the future.
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