Magnolia Serves Up ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’

Despite news that Mark Cuban has put Magnolia Pictures up for sale, it seems everything is business as usual at the independent distribution company. They announced yesterday that they have picked up David Gelb’s hunger inducing Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which will make its North American debut next week at the Tribeca Film Fest. It premiered at Berlinale earlier this year in the Culinary Cinema section.

Gist: The 85 year old Chef Jiro Ono is a master of Japanese cuisine. He has a boat load of culinary awards to his name, even being recognized by the Japanese government as a national treasure for his work. Ono’s Michelin rated three star restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, found in the basement of a massive office building in Ginza, Tokyo, is being passed down to his son, Yoshikazu, who is under an immense amount of pressure to live up to his father’s reputation.

Worth Noting: Though this is director David Gelb’s first feature length doc, he does have some interesting projects on his resume, including music videos for Sigur Rós and The Hold Steady. He also has directed two short films, The King of Central Park, featuring Henry Winkler and Jeffrey Tambor, and Lethargy, featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Edward Burns.

Do We Care?: Food critic and chef, Anthony Bourdain has said Sukiyabashi Jiro is home to the best sushi in the world. The freshness of the ingredients, technique of the knife work and timing of dish preparation within the restaurant is unmatched. As a fan of sushi, the rye humored Jiro Ono is an interesting figure, and thanks to Magnolia it seems we’ll have the opportunity to get to know the master chef as he passes the torch.