directed by Peter Kerekeš, documentary, 88 min, eng subtitles
The main characters in Cooking History are army cooks. Simple men in aprons put on the uniform with their task to look after filling the giant stomach of a big hungry child - the army.
At first sight, their role is less important than that of the tank crews, airforce units or landing divisions. However, when a proper filling and emptying of the stomach is secured, it can also provide a fluent occupying and leaving of the army positions. Thus, army cooks can affect the mood and actions of the soldiers and influence history with their spoons.
However, cooking and fighting have a lot in common: planning strategy, judging the correct proportion of ingredients, flavouring. Food preparation becomes a metaphor for battle.
The film is based on eleven recipes of cooks since the Second World War right up to the war in Chechnya and was filmed with cooks from Britain, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Russia and Israel.
An absolute must for all students of history as well as beginner cooks.
Awards:
HotDocs documentary film festival Toronto (Special Jury Prize - International Feature)
*Please note that the film includes real scenes depicting slaughter of animals.