The Culinary Zinema 2023
Three feature films and a series are set to vie for the prestigious Best Culinary Zinema Film Award.
The Culinary Zinema section, a collaborative effort between the San Sebastián Festival and the Basque Culinary Center, will feature four films and a series that revolve around the world of gastronomy. These offerings will immerse audiences in culinary stories from Argentina, Germany, China, Peru, France, and more. The section kicks off with the world premiere of the Argentine series "Nada," directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat, and concludes with Tran Anh Hung's "La passion de Dodin Bouffant" ("A Slow Fire"), a film that earned him the Best Director award at Cannes.
This year, the section will once again be competitive, with four productions vying for the Best Culinary Zinema Film Award, which comes with a €10,000 prize.
Culinary Zinema, not only a cinematic experience but a gastronomic one, was unveiled at the LABe Digital Gastronomy Lab in Tabakalera. The presentation was led by Joxe Mari Aizega, the director of the Basque Culinary Center, and José Luis Rebordions, the director of the San Sebastián Festival.
The miniseries "Nada," consisting of five 30-minute episodes, will open the section. Directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, known for their collaboration on "El ciudadano ilustre" (which won the Goya for Best Ibero-American Film in 2016), "All about barbecue" (Culinary Zinema, 2016), and "Official Competition" (Perlak, 2021), "Nada" tells the story of a food critic grappling with resource scarcity and the loss of his domestic worker. The series stars Luis Brandoni and Majo Cabrera, with a special guest appearance by Robert De Niro in the final episode.
Tran Anh Hung, renowned for his debut film "The Scent of Green Papaya" and his Cannes-winning "La passion de Dodin Bouffant," will bring the section to a close. Set in the late 19th century, the film stars Juliette Binoche as Eugenie, a cook who has served the gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for two decades but has never agreed to marry him.
In "Back to the South," the first feature film by director Xiao Haiping, the protagonist leaves behind Beijing, her job, and her boyfriend to establish a rural retreat in her hometown. Here, she cooks for her guests and discovers their unique stories.
Mariano Carranza, a documentary film producer and director from Lima, Peru, will present "Pachacútec, La Escuela Improbable" ("Pachacútec, The Improbable School"). This non-fiction piece, which participates out of competition due to its medium-length format, is a collaboration with chef Gastón Acurio. It recounts the stories of three Peruvian chefs whose journey from a disadvantaged neighborhood in Lima to culinary success was paved by a local school.
The other documentary in the section is "She Chef," directed by Melanie Liebheit and Gereon Wetzel. This film, presented in this section due to its connection with "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress" (2011), follows a young chef named Agnes as she embarks on internships at some of the world's most prestigious restaurants.
Themed Dinners
The five films featured in the section will be complemented by themed dinners held at the Basque Culinary Center from September 25 to 29. Joint tickets for both screenings and dinners will be available for purchase on September 1 at 10:00 a.m., priced at 80 euros, through the websites sansebastianfestival.janto.es and https://kutxabank- zinemaldi.janto.es. Tickets for the films alone will go on sale from September 17, priced at 8.50 euros, with the exception of "Pachacutec, La Escuela Improbable," which will be available for 4.25 euros.
The first culinary experience, following the screening of the miniseries "Nada" on September 25, will be hosted by chef Narda Lepes. She is not only an award-winning chef but also the gastronomic advisor for the miniseries. The evening will pay homage to Argentine cuisine, featuring references to notable figures and restaurants from the Buenos Aires gourmet scene. Guests will also have the opportunity to savor wines from the Zuccardi Winery, offering a complete Argentine culinary experience.
On September 26, following the screening of "Back to the South," the focus will shift to environmentally conscious gastronomy. Chefs Martina Puigvert of Les Cols (Girona), boasting two Michelin stars and a green star, and Carlos Casillas of Barro (Ávila), both Basque Culinary Center alumni, will craft a gastronomic experience rooted in their respective territories, emphasizing the purity and seasonality of garden-fresh ingredients. The dinner menu will be complemented by artisanal organic breads from Mendialdeko Ogia.
September 27, in conjunction with the film "Pachacutec, The Improbable School," will see leading chefs Alan Larrea of Percado restaurant, Gerson Atalaya of Sens Restaurant, and chef Jhosmery Cáceres of La Mar restaurant collaborate on a six-hands dinner. This culinary journey will trace the professional paths of these three young chefs, with dishes influenced by the restaurants they currently operate, spanning Lima, Luxembourg, and San Francisco, with a clear Peruvian touch.
For the screening of "She Chef" on September 28, chef and film protagonist Agnes Karrasch will take center stage. Her dishes will transport diners through key moments in her career, paying tribute to her time at restaurants such as Vendome (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), Enjoy (Barcelona), and Koks (Faroe Islands). Poul Andrias, head chef, and Nino Fjordside, head of research and development at Koks restaurant (holding two Michelin stars and one Michelin Green star), will join Karrasch in this culinary journey.
Finally, on September 29, chefs Sébastien Zozaya and Fabian Feldmann will conclude this edition of Culinary Zinema with a vintage banquet inspired by the film "La passion de Dodin Bouffant" ("A Slow Fire"). Sébastien Zozaya will present some of his signature dishes, while chef Fabian Feldmann of the Michelin-starred restaurant L'Impertinent (Biarritz) will prepare classic French cuisine, including the Alaskan Tart.
Culinary Zinema will maintain its signature format of ten guests per table, fostering enriching dialogues. The faculty and students of the Basque Culinary Center will actively participate in all the dinners, contributing both in the kitchen and in the dining room.