The Dryden will screen An (Sweet Bean, Kawase Naomi, Japan/France/Germany 2015, 103 min., DCP, Japanese w/ subtitles).

This is not your usual "good food brings redemption" kind of film. It is based on a best-selling novel by Sukegawa Durian, and turns the act of preparing a simple but very demanding recipe—an, the sweet red bean paste of the film's original title—into a quest for a deeper dialogue between humankind and nature. Driven by the stellar performance of veteran actress Kirin Kiki and set in contemporary Japan, the narrative unfolds with the unhurried but alert pace required by any good meal and by any true friendship. The mystery behind the reclusive cook gradually unfolds in a heartbreaking tale that makes Babette's Feast pale by comparison; after watching it, your pancakes will never be the same.

[source: George Eastman Museum website, 2016-Oct-17]