“One of those utterly original movies that seems to exist in no known category.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Tuesday, July 1, 9:00 a.m. | Food, glorious food! In Jûzô Itami’s rapturous ode to all things delicious, the widowed ramen shop owner Tampopo is struggling to save her business until two ramen specialists (truck drivers named Gorō and Gun) offer to help her make the perfect bowl. Weaving in comedic side stories, including the erotic exploits of a gastronomic gangster; and Rocky-like training montages, this “spaghetti Western” that trades in noodles for guns remains one of the most celebratory and mouth-watering moviegoing experiences of all time. Overflowing with joie de vivre, TAMPOPO defies anyone who watches it to leave the cinema without a renewed passion for life, love, and ramen.
If your stomach is grumbling when the credits roll, we’ve got you covered: RAMEN-SAN at 165 East Huron opens at 11:00AM; show your TAMPOPO ticket for a $5 regular bowl of Ramen per guest on July 1—get to slurping!
Awards & Nominations
Nominee - Best Foreign Film, Film Independent Spirit Awards
Winner - Best Editing, Best Sound, Awards of the Japanese Academy
Nominee - Best Foreign Language Film, New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Rise & Shine | July 1–30, 2025
Moviegoing is generally reserved for nights and weekends, but when you see a film first thing in the morning, there is a life-changing potentiality. Mere hours after you’ve opened your eyes to the day, the Film Center invites you to open your eyes in an entirely different way with a morning screening of soul-altering cinema. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed—scientists say we’re most alert around 9:00 a.m.—play the slightest bit of hooky with us, after which you will emerge onto the hustle and bustle of State Street feeling energized, maybe even with your humanity restored, and all before lunchtime! Rise & Shine generously supported by Taylor Champion.
As a bonus, enjoy complimentary coffee included with your ticket, courtesy of Dark Matter Coffee; and get 10% off your order at any Goddess and the Baker location in the city when you show your Rise & Shine ticket July 1 through 30. What a way to start the day!
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu