Hoezo in KINO

Veteran filmmaker Frederick Wiseman (he turned 93 this year) has been documenting institutions and their inner workings for over six decades, debuting in 1967 with a devastating fly-on-the-wall depiction of mental hospitals in the US with Titicut Follies and tackling subjects ranging from City Hall to ballet academy, in his formidable career. For his 51st feature, Wiseman embedded himself in the Maison Troisgros – the world-famous French restaurant run by three generations of a single family maintaining the three Michelin star status for a baffling 53 years and counting. This four-hour journey into the sometimes incomprehensible minutiae of elite haute cuisine is a true delight of slow cinema and a rare ‘look in the kitchen’ (as the Dutch saying goes) of a family-run business dedicated to enduring perfection. Menus Plaisirs will screen exclusively at KINO, in French and English language with English subtitles. The film will be presented with a 20-minute intermission.

Credits

Regie: Frederick Wiseman
Genre: Documentary
Speelduur: 240 Minutes
Land: France, US
Taal: French, English
Ondertiteling: English

Storyline

Menus Plaisirs is a film about the Troisgros family and their three restaurants, Troisgros, Le Central, and Colline, located in three neighboring locations in centralFrance. Troisgros, a restaurant founded 93 years ago, has had three Michelin stars for 55 years and in 2020 was awarded a Michelin green star for exemplary sustainable practices. Much of the film takes place at Troisgros. The present chef, Cesar Troisgros, is the fourth generation of the family to be in charge of Troisgros. The film shows the day-to-day operations involving the purchase, preparation, and service at this restaurant.

Scenes in the film also include purchasing fresh vegetables at the market, visits to a cheese processing plant, a vineyard, a cattle ranch working on best farming practices, and an organic farmer whose farm, along with the garden of the restaurant, provides organic produce for the restaurants. The Troisgros family’s interest in biodiversity is illustrated in their choice and preparation of their distinctive menu and their efforts to reduce food waste. The film shows the great artistry ingenuity, imagination, and hard work of the restaurant staff in creating, preparing, and presenting meals of the highest quality. Additionally, the collaboration within the Troisgros family is evident as the father, Michel, transfers the leadership in the kitchen to his son, Cesar and collaborates with his wife, who runs the hotel, and his other son who runs La Colline.