Executive producer Dave Erickson tells IMDb what fans can learn from the new Season 1 Special Edition DVD commentary and serves up some key tidbits about Season 2.
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Title: East Side Sushi (2014)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Diana Elizabeth Torres | ... |
Juana
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| Yutaka Takeuchi | ... |
Aki
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Rodrigo Duarte Clark | ... |
Apa
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Kaya Jade Aguirre | ... |
Lydia
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Roji Oyama | ... |
Mr. Yoshida
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Lane Nishikawa | ... |
Jimmy Nishida
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| Miyoko Sakatani | ... |
Mrs. Yoshida
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| Melissa Locsin | ... |
Studio Coordinator
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James J. Der Jr. | ... |
Kyung
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Bartholomew Wang | ... |
Robert
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Edwin Li | ... |
Billy
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Jesus Fuentes | ... |
Victor
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| Kathleen Park | ... |
Waitress #1
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| Sara Matsui-Colby | ... |
Waitress #2
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Tomoharu Nakamura | ... |
Hitoshi Watanabe
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Single mom Juana can slice and dice anything with great speed and precision. After working at a fruit-vending cart for years, she decides to take a job at a local Japanese restaurant. Intrigued by the food, she learns to make a multitude of sushi on her own. Eventually she attempts to become a sushi chef, but is unable to because she is the 'wrong' race and gender. Against all odds, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to not let anyone stop her from achieving her dream. Written by Anonymous
I noticed some time ago that some of my very favorite films are about food--perhaps it's because I love to cook. Off the top of my head, I can quickly think of some real classic foodie movies, such as "Babette's Feast", "Mostly Martha", "The Big Night" and "The Hundred-Foot Journey". I might want to a new film to this list-- "East Side Sushi". Unfortunately, this film is not yet scheduled for a nation-wide release, but there are going to be some limited engagements in California theaters starting September 18th--most likely because the audiences there have a large concentration of Hispanic-Americans (and the leading character is a Mexican- American). I sure hope it comes to other markets, as this film by Anthony Lucero is a little gem.
Juana (Diana Elizabeth Torres) is a brilliant cook. But she and her father are struggling to raise her daughter. Their pay is meager and her job selling fruit on the streets has become rather dangerous. On a lark, she decides to go to work at a local Japanese restaurant instead of doing her usual Mexican-style cooking. Here at the restaurant, she does a lot of the prep-work--and the sushi chefs do the actual sushi work. But she is fascinated by their work and soon realizes that sushi is delicious...and so, with only a little bit of help to get her started, she teaches herself how to make sushi. After a year of practice on her family, Juana is quite accomplished and is ready to make the leap in the restaurant from prep work to sushi...but there is a problem. Mexican-Americans do NOT work in sushi bars and everyone KNOWS that only Japanese men can excel in this art..right?! Well, Juana is determined...and conventional wisdom may not be right after all.
So why did I like this film so much? Well, the biggest reason is that the film is about people. Because of the wonderful performances and nice direction, you can believe that Juana is a real person--not just a plot device. You feel for her, you see her struggle, you like her and want her to succeed. I like movies about people and their everyday lives--and this one really works for me. I also appreciate that many times I expected things to happen one way in the movie but the writer (also Lucero) chose to avoid these clichés and formula--so it kept me guessing. Overall, this is a lovely little film--one that left me a bit hungry for more.