While the Oscars and Palme d'Or are used as standards of excellence in the world of cinema, the highest award in the restaurant business is the Michelin star.
But, as one of the interviewees in the documentary by Adrian Choa and Michael Boccalini points out, «Feast or Famine: In Search of a Michelin Star» , an Oscar is awarded for life, while a restaurant can lose its coveted star or stars at any time.
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The directors stopped by Deadline's studio at SWSX London, where their film premiered on Monday, to discuss the documentary, which explores the mythology, mania, and methods of achieving stardom from a British perspective.
The Michelin Restaurant Guide and its star rating system were first launched in 1900 by the eponymous French tire manufacturer Michelin during the early years of the automobile.
«"Michelin has done more for gastronomy than anyone else, but they are the only option, and being the only option, they in some ways put chefs in a box, and we thought people should know whether that's right or wrong," Boccalini said.
The documentary follows the contrasting stories of former British culinary enfant terrible Pierre Marco White and the young team behind the increasingly popular Italian-Japanese restaurant Angelina in London's hipster Dalston district.
The directing team is also an interesting combination.
Choa is known for his deep observational work on marginalized groups, with his recent work including — Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere« and the series «Jamali Maddix: Follow the Leader» , and among Boccalini's works is the comedy mockumentary film "« Love, perhaps"» and a romantic comedy «How to make her leave »", and a portrait of Larry King is also being prepared.
Boccalini, who is also a producer on the film, said the documentary grew out of a shared passion for food-related content with her longtime producing partner Steve Hodgetts.
«"I really like it show Is It Cake? he said, referring to the Netflix cooking show set in a studio. "Studio shows are a bit tedious, but we understood that the industry loves prizes and competitions. As a small production company, it's very difficult to acquire intellectual property. Michelin exists, and restaurants strive to get a star, so we thought: why don't we watch a restaurant try to get a star?".
«"It's like a competition show, only in real life. We're based in Los Angeles and travel back and forth all the time, but we needed an experienced director in London, and we brought in Adrian Choa.".
Choa suggested that their different styles and approaches to filmmaking complement each other.
«The film is a combination of two genres in the sense that it’s the kind of classic retrospective film, interviews with famous figures that we’re used to, but at the same time it has a documentary element to it, showing Angelina’s life in the thick of things… I specialize in observational documentaries, so I think we’ll work well together combining these two different genres.».
Bringing White onto the film was also key, as the documentary weaves the story of the Leeds-born chef from his early years at the St George Hotel in Harrogate to becoming the first British chef to achieve three coveted stars at his restaurant, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White.
In 1999, White retired from professional cooking and took the unconventional step of regaining his three Michelin stars, after which he became an outspoken critic of the system.
«"With age, I think he's become a bit of a grumpy old man in the public eye, and the truth is, he had something to say. He wants to protect chefs. The path to a Michelin star is incredibly difficult, and there's no alternative. So, you have to follow these rules," Boccalini said.
«"He's been trying to get this across for 30 years, maybe not in the best possible way. So we suggested he repeat it a little more slowly, in his own romantic way, and we'd give him time, and he liked the idea.".
The documentary also examines a generational shift in which young people are abandoning the regimented and sometimes brutal kitchens in favor of a more equal, humane approach to business.
«"The gastronomic culture was born thanks to Auguste Escoffier, who invented the Marshallese cuisine system, which was characterized by excessive bravado and a militaristic approach, the first symbol of which eventually became Marco, and Angelina, when we found them, turned out to be the complete opposite of that," Choa said.
«They have a very non-militaristic, loving cuisine, and they represent, I would say, a new wave of cuisine culture that people are trying to incorporate… It was an interesting conflict at the heart of the film, the alternation between Marco’s perspective and Angelina’s life on the front lines.».
Among those who have a more positive view of the Michelin star system are British chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin (Galvin Bistrot & Bar), Adam Handling (Frog) and Pascal Aussignac (Club Gascon).
The filmmakers attempted to contact Michelin about the documentary, initially to get their feedback on the original title idea, "« Michelin Impossible» (Michelin is impossible.) «They didn’t mind. They knew what we were doing. Michelin is very smart. They just remain mysterious and silent and let things unfold. We kept in touch. They saw the film… but I think to a certain extent they want it to become known to the general public,» Boccalini said.
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