Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef
★ 5.5 · 2022 · 79m · Documentary
This astonishing glimpse into the restaurant world examines sexual harassment concealed within the industry, causing many employees to suffer in silence or leave their jobs rather than confront a celebrity chef or powerful owner who can ruin their career.
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Recorded narration of a Turkish student who recounts his trials and tribulations since moving to New York City. Family and aspiration struggles.
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September 7, 2012
2022
On September 7, 2012, Ashley MacDonald was sexually assaulted. In this powerful first time film, she talks to strangers about what that same day looked like in their own lives. What were they doing? What happened to them? The result is a documentary about processing trauma, and the power of openness and connection to help us heal.
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The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution
2018 · ★ 6
In restaurant kitchens, tight quarters, high pressure and hot tempers combine to create toxic conditions that make it difficult for anyone to survive, let alone climb the ladder to head chef. For women, the situation is even worse. Running a successful restaurant is a daunting challenge, even more so when the odds are stacked against you. But as women take charge at more of the world's top dining establishments, a cultural shift is dismantling the macho environment that made celebrities out of "bad boy" chefs. From New York City's star chefs Anita Lo and Amanda Cohen to the queen of French cuisine Anne-Sophie Pic, seven chefs share their struggles to overcome a system of inequality and harassment while delivering delicious dishes and redefining the dining experience. An appetite for change has taken hold and there's no turning back
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Kings of Pastry
2009 · ★ 6.8
The collar awarded to the winners of the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) is more than the ultimate recognition for every pastry chef - it is a dream and an obsession. The 3-day competition includes everything from delicate chocolates to precarious six foot sugar sculptures and requires that the chefs have extraordinary skill, nerves of steel and luck. The film follows Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of The French Pastry School in Chicago, as he returns to France to compete against 15 of France's leading pastry chefs. The filmmakers were given first time/exclusive access to this high-stakes drama of passion, sacrifice, disappointment and joy in the quest to have President Sarkozy declare them one of the best in France.
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Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial
2018
York University alumni Mandi Gray is forced to grapple with a university administration, legal system and police force unwilling to take seriously her report of rape by a fellow PhD student.
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The Hunting Ground
2015 · ★ 7.4
A startling expose of rape crimes on US campuses, their institutional cover-ups, and the devastating toll they take on students and their families. The film follows the lives of several undergraduate assault survivors as they attempt to pursue—despite incredible push back, harassment and traumatic aftermath—both their education and justice.
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2007 · ★ 5.7
Since the late 1990s, more people have died in war-torn Congo than in any conflict since World War II. In addition to the dead, hundreds of thousands of woman and girls have been raped. Rape, explains a British colonel, is a weapon of war, part of a destabilization covering the theft of valuable minerals. Rape victims are traumatized, injured, abandoned by husbands, pregnant, and ravaged by disease.
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The Pursuit of Perfection
2024 · ★ 8
Focusing on four of the leading chefs in Japan today, this documentary explores the truth behind Japan's unique and sophisticated food culture. Each takes meticulous care of their own dishes in pursuit of perfection, but their approaches are quite different, even contrasting. With different sets of roots and beliefs, some pursue spiritual cultivation or aesthetic creativity, while the others seek high-quality ingredients by building close relationships with local suppliers. How do their personalities and struggles result in their masterpieces? World-renowned food experts and gastronomists also guide the audience into the further depths of the stories behind the chefs' endless pursuit. Through these four chefs, you’ll learn that Tokyo is one of the world’s greatest food cities.
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Reinventing Mirazur
2021 · ★ 8
Mirazur, Argentine-born chef Mauro Colagreco's 3 Michelin starred restaurant on France's Mediterranean coast, was awarded Best Restaurant in the World on the eve of the pandemic. Not content to rest on their laurels, Colagreco and his diverse team soldiered on through the global tragedy of the lockdown, boldly reimagining the restaurant's concept and menu to reflect their dedication to biodynamic principles. Mirazur re-emerged with a new and enthusiastic approach: the Moon Menu.
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Look at Life: Eating High
1966
An examination of the 60's trend of top-of-skyscraper revolving restaurants. First an overview of Europe's best then it's a detailed look at the problems involved in running the restaurant at the top of London's Post Office Tower.
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Predator: Catching the Black Cab Rapist
2021 · ★ 6
Britain's most prolific serial rapist was eventually convicted for several crimes, but he was to be released on parole until numerous victims found the courage to speak up.
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