If the film world has the Oscars and Cannes Palme d’Or as measures of excellence, the highest accolade in the restaurant world is the Michelin star.
But as an interviewee in Adrian Choa and Michael Boccalini’s Feast or Famine: The Quest for the Michelin Star points out early on in the documentary, an Oscar is for life, while a restaurant can be stripped of its coveted star or stars from one year to the next.
The Michelin restaurant guide and its star rating system was initially launched in 1900 by namesake French tyre manufacturer Michelin in the early years of the automobile. Watch on Deadline
At the heart of the documentary are the contrasting journeys of former enfant terrible of UK cuisine Marco Pierre White, and the young team behind rising Italian Japanese fusion restaurant Angelina in London’s hipster Dalston neighborhood.
The directorial team is also an interesting fusion.
Choa is known for his immersive observational work exploring fringe groups with recent credits including Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere and series Jamali Maddix: Follow the Leader while Boccalini’s credits include the comedy mockumentary Love Possibly and romcom How To Make Her Leave with a Larry King portrait in the works.
Boccalini, who is also a producer on the film, said the documentary grew out of a shared passion for food-related content with longtime producing partner Steve Hodgetts.
“It’s kind of the same as a competition show, but it’s in real life. We are based in L.A. and go back and forth but we needed a solid director in London and enter Adrian Choa.
Choa suggested their differing filmmaking styles and paths were complementary.
White retired from professional cooking in 1999 and took the unconventional step of handing his three stars back and has since become a vocal critic of the Michelin star system.
The doc also digs into the generational shift which has seen young generations eschewing regimented and sometimes abusive kitchens in favor of a more egalitarian, human way of doing things.
UK-based Michelin-starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin (Galvin Bistrot & Bar) Adam Handling (Frog) and Pascal Aussignac (Club Gascon) are among those sharing more positive thoughts on the Michelin star system.
Source: deadline.com