The Bigger Picture – Tampopo

The Bigger Picture is one of the Irish Film Institute’s monthly strands, in which a special screening is chosen and introduced by a guest in the context of their professional and personal background. For September 2024, the IFI’s own Box Office team selected Tampopo, a 1985 Japanese comedy directed by Juzo Itami and the world’s first “Noodle Western”.

The film tells the story of a nomadic truck driver who discovers a hole-in-the-wall ramen shop and mentors its owner to become Japan's greatest ramen chef, blending themes of food, love, and loss into an unconventional (yet appetising) narrative. Paying homage to everything from American Westerns to sketch comedy, Tampopo showcases the potential of cinema to speak across cultures and connect with people from all walks of life.

Tampopo’s quirky, genre-blending style inspired the visual identity for this screening. Bold typography and minimalist illustration were used to reflect the film’s balance of humour and homage. This identity was applied across multiple formats, including a printed poster, cinema screen ident, and social media post, resulting in a cohesive campaign that aimed to resonate with cinephiles and casual audiences alike.