Events Woodstock VT Film Series: Come Back Anytime

Directed by John Daschbach.

81 minutes. Japanese.  Not rated.

Featuring Masamoto and Kazuko Ueda.

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Come Back Anytime presents a window into the lives of self-taught Japanese ramen master Masamoto Ueda and his wife Kazuko, who have run their tiny Tokyo ramen shop, Bizentei, for more than 40 years. Ueda serves his legendary ramen to scores of devoted customers who have joined him over the decades in making the restaurant an intimate place of community. For Ueda, it’s more than just a livelihood, but his life. And his die-hard regulars are more than just customers. They are true friends.

On the weekends, they venture together across the Japanese countryside, harvesting pears, bamboo shoots, and wild mountain yams. Acknowledging that nothing lasts forever and that the master must retire someday, everyone resolves to make the best of what time remains — to truly appreciate this special place, this uniquely delicious and soul-nourishing food, and this special community of friends before it is gone forever.

“As the Cheers theme goes, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. The ramen shop pictured in Come Back Anytime is such a place to its beloved group of regulars. While this cozy, heartwarming doc is about the artistry of an excellent bowl of soup, it is just as much about the power of community and connection… (It) recreates a welcome atmosphere of warmth and ambiance after an extremely isolating year.”  – POV Magazine

Jury Award, Best Documentary, Sonoma International Film Festival