Synopsis

Did she order the Shoyu-Rāmen? The Kare-Rāmen? Or maybe it was the Tsuke-men? Noriko (78) isn’t sure – she can’t remember what the young man to the left of the counter had ordered. But the aroma reminds her of her mother’s kitchen, of her childhood when breakfast consisted of soup, often with vegetables… All of a sudden someone calls her name, she steadies herself, picks up the bowl of steaming Shoyu-Rāmen, and takes careful steps toward the customer, a woman and her child sat at a table. Five more steps. Don’t trip. Don’t drop this bowl.

In an ever-aging society which is increasingly devoted to rejuvenation and immortality, people with dementia have no place and largely remain invisible. A small Japanese rāmen restaurant invites us to the inner worlds of individuals whose reality is increasingly shaped by confusion, dependency, and shame.

The community of the Chibaru Shokudō restaurant in Japan is charting a new path: with solidarity, openness, and humour, they point to ways in which people remain visible and retain a sense of agency despite dementia and age.

TIME follows Noriko and her colleagues at work in the restaurant and in their daily lives, staying close as they navigate challenges and moments of disorientation, when present and memory begin to blur.

We encounter individuals whose experiences represent those of millions, all too often hidden behind the stigma of dementia.

TIME is a feature documentary on dignity and visibility in later life.

More Infos

• Credits

  DIRECTOR

  Christina Sayaka Kerber

  PRODUCER

  Stephanie Constantin

  Vadim Jendreyko

• Technical Details

  Format	DCP
  Duration	90 min
  Year	2027
  Original Language	Japanese
  Subtitles
  Country	Schweiz
  ISAN