Chef Flynn -1 week engagement at Hot Docs Cinema Jan 25

CHEF FLYNN
Directed by Cameron Yates

One-Week Engagement
Begins January 25, 2019
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto
 

 

Chef Flynn McGarry was 10-years-old when he showed interest in taking over the kitchen duties from his divorced mother Meg who had no interest in cooking.  Around 13 he opened a supper club in the living room of his mother's California home, using his classmates as line cooks and serving a seasonal foraged tasting menu to wide-eyed Los Angelenos.

As the years pass, Flynn grows both as a chef, and a teenager, eventually outgrowing his family kitchen, and his mother's camera and in a search for increased knowledge and to be taken seriously he ventured out to stage at many world class restaurants which included a trip to Scandinavia.  Flynn all the while honing his style on Pop Up restaurant events.

Flynn's mother Meg with a background in film was documenting Flynn's life from the time he was born and amassed 18 years of personal archival footage as well as intimate vérité, this feature documentary portrait is not only the study of a rising star thrown into the media spotlight at an early age, but also a reflection on motherhood and what it means to give up one's own identity in furtherance of a child's passion.

Director Cameron Yates (The Canal Street Madam) captures lightning-in-a-bottle to reveal Flynn’s singular drive and passion as he navigates the often-cutthroat world of fine dining.

Chef Flynn had its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and screened at Sundance, Berlinale, SXSW in 2018.

I had a chance to speak with the Director Cameron Yates and Flynn's mother Meg this week.

Cameron Yates

1.     How and when did you get involved in the documentary?

"I read articles in the New Yorker and found info online in 2012. and found the Dining with Flynn videos on Youtube and was totally fascinated and wanted to find out more about Meg so I contacted her through a connection from the films producer"  

2.     Since Meg had a film background did she have a specific vision for the project and did you have a pre conceived vision of where you wanted to take it? 

"Meg handed over hard the hard drives and ever asked to see anything".  "She was crying after screening".

Cameron met with Meg, Flynn and his sister Paris for dinner in New York,  Flynn ordered for everyone.  

It took a year of chatting with Meg before he came on board to direct. He felt that Meg was ready to hand over the reigns by then,  Meg asked Cameron to shoot the last dinner at their LA home.

They filmed for about 5 years.  Cameron felt that the film was more of a mother and son relationship than just a Teen Prodigy story.

Chef Flynn now has his own restaurant in New York which is named after is mother.  It's called Gem, which is Meg spelled backwards.

Cameron tells me that Flynn is very hands on in his restaurant with him shopping at the local farmer's market, picking the flowers, music and the hiring and firing of staff on top of his masterful cooking ability he wants to be taken seriously as a restaurant owner and fine dining Chef and ditch the Teen Prodigy moniker.

He has built a community of friends in New York that include his sister Paris and her friends who are nearby and the family that is his kitchen staff.

Flynn's mother now lives in a Studio in LA where she still makes short films while working full time as an assistant.  I spoke to her about her incredible influence in Flynn's life.

Meg McGarry

1.  Did you have thoughts of what you thought Flynn would be when he grew up? 

"We  found footage of cooking shows of Flynn playing with his sister and her calling him Chef Flynn.  He Dressed up like Emeril when he was 2 for Halloween.  

I just wanted a kind and healthy baby.  If your child shows and interest in something you should embrace it.  Played baseball, guitar and did different things in an exhaustive way.  He has natural ability. Around 10 he was interested in taking over kitchen.  At 11 wanted to learn on Internet and with cookbooks.  He created his own dishes at 12.  He apprenticed where I hung out.  By 13 he had extraordinary kitchen skills".

2.  How did he convince you to do the pop up in your home?  

"It was oganically formed by cooking for family, friends and birthdays. When it grew we asked for donations for the food.  My father cooked huge Chinese food meals on Friday nights.  Our home had a restaurant area.  At the beginning we held the pop ups twice a month.  I had pro friends to help cook and serve.  He gained a bit of fame at the start because of his age.  When you are young you have a lot of energy.. people achieve a lot in their youth.  The first article in the New Yorker was because of  journalist who came to dinner at the house and wanted to write about it and the New Yorker picked it up.  We met Chef Daniel at a book signing and Flynn showed him photos on his phone of the food he cooked and he realized he can cook from a very complicated cookbook.  He was able to go and work the line in his New York restaurant and they soon realized  his hard work and talent."

3.  Does he have other ideas of what he wants to do?  

"He shied away from things that take away from restaurant, he works 5 days a week.   After 1 year it's still fresh. Sometimes has a day off and does parties or goes to movies, concerts and other things.

He lives close to the restaurant and his sister lives near him.

I live in LA and visit every 4 months" 

Meg still writes and made a short film about a  year ago.   She feels it's time to step back and let Flynn fly on his own and develop his wings.

I have now watched the film twice.  One before Hot Docs and again before this interview and I picked up new subtle images and words after watching it the second time.

It's very interesting when you combine a passion, a supportive family, and an interesting life story how things can amplify quickly in the media and change dynamics of one's life.

Go see this film.  A lot of the footage is raw footage filmed over the early years but then moves to Flynn's breakout as a professional Chef.