“With All My Love, From Mom” (2017, 126 minutes), directed by Shiraha Mitsuhito, will be screened on Friday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at West Los Angeles United Methodist Church, 1913 Purdue Ave. in West L.A.
Also known as “What’s for Dinner, Mom?” (Mama, Gohan Mada?), this is a moving, heartwarming foodie drama celebrating the power and love of mother’s cooking. Based on the early life of Taiwanese-Japaense pop singer-composer Yo Hitoto and her sister, actress Tae Hitoto, the movie is a visual feast of traditional Taiwanese cuisine enhanced by Michiko Kawai’s endearing performance as the culinary monarch.
Tae and Yo return to their childhood house, which is being torn down, to reminisce about their mother, who died 20 years ago. Clearning up family memories, Tae finds a memory box full of recipes and letters written by their mother. She discovers how much her mother struggled through the relocation from Japan to Taiwan, the death of her Taiwanese huband, and her painful battle with cancer while raising and caring for two daughters as a determined, proud but poor single mother.
Director and screenwriter Shirha Mitsuhito movingly depicts how the taste of home connects a mother to her daughters across time and space. The cast also includes Haruko Kinami, Izumi Fujimoto, Wu Pong Fong and Masahiro Komoto.
Japanese films are featured for free on the last Friday of each month. Parking is available on-site. For more information, call (310) 479-1379 or visit www.wlaumc.com.