My HOT LIST for Hot Docs

What to see at Hot Docs. - MY HOT LIST

I had a chance to preview 2 Hot Docs films before the festival's start.  One was The Corporate Coup d'Etat and the other one was Maxima.  Here is a bit about these 2 films and a couple of others on my HOT LIST

The Corporate Coup d’État 

This film is an interesting look at the history of  how we got to the "Make America Great" Trump battle cry and how we got here through a look at history to a look at the people the greed and power filled decisions of a few un scrupulous men and how it put people out of their homes and increased the divide between the rich and the poor.  This film was put together very well through it's look from Mussolini to Trump and the people along the way that drove the change and the ones that paid for these changes created by Greed.

The Corporate Coup d’État will have its Canadian Premiere as a Special Presentation at the 2019 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, on April 29 at 9:30PM EST.

Screenings at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival:
Monday, April 29 - 9:30pm at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Tuesday, April 30 - 10:00am at Isabel Bader Theatre
Friday, May 3 - 12:00pm at Hart House Theatre 

 MAXIMA is the story of one tenacious woman with a purpose.  It captures the story of Máxima Acuña, a generational farmer in Peru who takes on a fight to keep her land and survive the corporate violence of billion-dollar American mining giant Newmont Mining when they lay claim to her land. Máxima Acuña’s is a strong, determined but unassuming woman who believes she must fight to protect was was her legal rights and save her families future and the future of her people's health and livelihood.  This is a true story of the power of one woman on a mission to do the right thing.

MAXIMA has its World Premiere as part of the new ‘Persister’ programme at Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Festival on April 27 at 5:45PM at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, Canada. 

MY HOT PICKS - Films on my list of Docs to see

Toxic Beauty is a documentary feature film that knits together archival footage, personal stories, and hard-data to deconstruct doubt propagated by Big Cosmetics and Pharma, making nefarious claims that we have nothing to worry about. Toxic Beauty will have its “Special Presentation” World Premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival on April 28 at 6:30PM EST at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.

Screenings at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival:
Sunday, April 28    6:30pm      Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Monday, April 29   12:45pm   TIFF Bell Lightbox
Thursday, May 2    5:45pm     Scotiabank

The Wandering Chef is a story about Korean celebrated  Chef Jiho IM who demonstrates the power of food bringing people together and his longing for a mother he wishes he had in his life.

World Premiere:

Wed May 1 - Hart House - 6:30pm

Thurs May 2 - Scotia Bank 3 - 3:00 pm

Fri May 3 - Isabel Bader Theatre - 9:30pm

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

If you know about Jazz you know who Miles Davis is.  This is a legendary artist with a long career who has influenced many people in the music business.  You rarely see much about Miles Davis so this is a must see doc.

Wed May 1 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema - 8:45pm

Fri May 3 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema - 10:00am

Sat May 4 - Tiff  Bell Lightbox - 6:45pm

Ask Dr. Ruth

Many people would ask my mother if she was Dr. Ruth because she looked like her but didn't totally sound like her.  Dr. Ruth is like your Jewish grandmother who gives you advice and then feeds you but in this case her advice is about sex.  If you have never heard of her you must have been living under a rock.  She has been giving advice for decades and has the most amazing sense of humour about her job.

Fri Apr 26 - Isabel Bader Theatre - 6:00pm

Sat Apr 27 - Tiff Bell Lightbox - 10:00am

Mystify: Michael Hutchence

This is the one I want to see the most.  I loved INXS the Australian Band who were huge in the 80's and have continued with a new singer after lead singer Michael Hutchence's sad passing.   He had a mysterious personality and his voice was distinct and full of soul.  I am surprised it took so long for a documentary to be made.  He was gone far too soon.  INXS continued successfully but it would have been great to see it continue with Michael Hutchence as the driving force.

Sun Apr 28 - Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema - 9:30pm

Mon Apr 29 - Hart House - 9:15pm

Wed May 1 - Tiff Bell Lightbox 10:00am

Sun May 5 - Tiff Bell Lightbox - 1:15pm

HI, AI

The subject of AI kind of freaks me out a bit.  I have seen other documentaries about it and you have to wonder what will happen to humans in the future if AI can take over everything.  The only thing left for humans to do will be to create AI and fight for the same things they always did.

While I believe there is a benefit of technology to help people especially the elderly who are unable to do daily tasks I hope that we don't replace the human to human connections that are what make a life worth living.

Mon Apr 29 - Scotiabank - 8:45pm

Tue Apr 30 - Scotiabank - 12:00pm

Sat May 4 - Tiff Bell Lightbox - 6:30pm

Film - Cafe Nation at Hot Docs

Cafe-Nation

How serious are you about the coffee you drink?

Do you drink anything that's cheap and convenient or do you seek out the best coffee you can find or make?

If you are obsessed with the quality of the coffee you drink then you will enjoy the journey of Canadian Ben Put who strives to be one of the Best Barristas in the World.
He has travelled to Dublin, Ireland to compete in the World Barrista Competition.

Ben is the part owner and Barrista at Monogram Coffee,  Coffee is  his career and his life.  He practices his coffee making techniques like he is training for the Olympics.  With his wife's support he has dedicated years to pursue the Top spot in the world of coffee making.

Maybe you just think your cup of Java is just some coffee beans and hot water.  Ben thinks there is a lot more to it than that to make the most perfect cup of coffee and he is not alone.

SHORTS | 

18 MINUTES | 2016 | CANADA | TORONTO PREMIERE | RATING: G

Director; laura o'grady

Tue, May 2 - 8:15 PM -  TIFF Bell lightbox 4

Thur, may 4 - 3:30 pm - scotiabank theatre 7

sun, may 7 - 9:15 pm - scotiabank theatre 13

Trailer



Website:  www.optiklocal.com

Film - Ramen Heads at Hot Docs

RAMEN HEADS

In Japan Ramen is like a Sandwich in the West.  It can be breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Japanese people are very dedicated to their favourite Ramen restaurants.  I have even seen this trend in Toronto.  There is a fairly new Ramen restaurant on Dundas near University and just before lunch people start to line up outside.  I don't get it because there are other Ramen shops nearby, but they must like that one better than the others in the area.  I prefer the broth of Pho to Ramen broth as it has more depth in the flavours but people love to slurp up those noodles and suck back that broth.

This documentary is the story of a man in Japan who has become the King of Ramen Heads and has developed a system to serve his customers. His name is Osamu Tomita. He is an obsessive perfectionist and will not allow his apprentices to take over.  If he can't be in his shop it doesn't open.  He searches the highest quality ingredients and makes his noodles by hand every day and they are longer than everyone else's and has a specific stretch that keeps them from breaking.  

Ramen Heads looks at the Ramen culture in Japan and Chef Tomita's mentors and influences and some of the other styles of Ramen in other restaurants in Japan.  

He won the "Best Ramen in Tokyo" for 4 years in a row and people come from all over to try his Ramen.  His shop celebrates it's 10th Anniversary and this is a behind the scenes look at their practices and success and why they have over 200 people who line up everyday for his noodles and broth.  

He only eats Ramen and will work all day without a break and on his days off he goes to eat at other Ramen shops.

Is it dedication or obsession?  Watch the film and you decide.

See it at HOT DOCS 

Screenings:

Thursday, May 4 5:45 PM, SCOTIABANK THEATRE

Friday, May 5 10:15 AM, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
Saturday, May 6 10:45 AM, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

Trailer  

Saturday, May 6 10:45 AM, TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

Film - New Chefs on the Block - Hot Docs

NEW CHEFS ON THE BLOCK

Have you ever wanted to own your own Restaurant?  Do you think it's easy?  

People have told me for years that I should open a Restaurant but they seem to think it's really easy to just open the doors of a space and start selling food.  

Not so much.  Nearly 30 per cent of new restaurants fail within the first year.  

It's a very high risk investment where most of the capital comes from borrowing from banks, credit cards and friends and family. 
If you aren't financially independent or have lot's of support from friends and family, you will find the process very challenging.  It takes a village to open a great restaurant.  If you want to know why your meal costs so much then you should see this film as it takes you through the behind the scenes process of building a restaurant from the ground up.

New Chefs on the Block is a feature documenting the roller-coaster ride of two young chefs in Washington, D.C., as they estimate their budgets from design to opening nights of their first restaurants.

Chefs Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury and Frank Linn of Frankly...Pizza! are in for a big shock as they incur increasing costs due to the number of obstacles in their way in the process of construction, permits and human resources issues that they must overcome to get to their Opening Nights. 

How important is a review from the Big Local newspaper?  It can make or break a restaurant.  Social media is also the new game changer although influenced mostly by the original big media reviews.

The Chefs featured in the film are a dedicated new breed of Chef/restauranteurs who have modelled their businesses after successful restauranteur Danny Meyer's practice of treating his staff well and building a community that stays together.  Gone are the days of the loud dictator chefs.  And the diners are better off for the changes.

Two chefs in DC struggle to open their first Restaurants.  NEW CHEFS ON THE BLOCK

Directed by Dustin Harrison-Atlas

Starring Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury and Frank Linn of Frankly...Pizza! Featuring legendary chefs and restaurateurs Danny Meyer (author, “Setting the Table”), Michel Richard (2-time James Beard Award Winner), Mike Isabella (Bravo Top Chef All-Star) and Washington Post food writer Tim Carman.

Website:  www.newchefsontheblock.com

96 MINUTES | 2016 | USA | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE | RATING: G

SCREENING AT HOT DOCS

Sat, Apr 29

TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, Toronto, ON

Sun, Apr 30

TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, Toronto, ON

Sat, May 6

Isabel Bader Theatre, Toronto, ON

Trailer

“What is good food? Food made with Love. Love, love, love, love.” -Chef Michel Richard

Tony Robbins is not your Guru.

Tony Robbins is a master at motivating people into changing their lives, although I have been reading his books and listening to him speak since the 80's I have found it hard to stick but what the new documentary: Tony Robbins: I am not your Guru explains is that you need a physical shift in the way you transform into a new way of being.  I guess I haven't had that physical change but I must say that some of the things he has said over the years have stuck with me.  I find myself thinking about a lot of it after seeing the documentary which takes you into his Date with Destiny 12 hour, 6 day seminars.  You pretty much give up everything and focus on your life in those 6 days, and I guess that's where the physical transformation comes into play.  When all you do is focus all of your attention on the things you are unhappy with in your life you start to think about what you have to do to change it.  Tony helps you zero in on what the core of the problem is and what you have to do to make the change.

I saw the documentary at the 2016 Hot Docs film festival where Tony was in attendance to introduce the film.  I have to tell you that I stood in a rush line for an hour to see the 1st screening at which he did a full Q&A and unfortunately the Rush line cut off just in front of me.  So my friend and I killed time at the coffee shop next door waiting for the 2nd screening.  I knew Tony would be there and wanted to get a chance to see the screening and hear what he had to say, even though I knew the film is going to be shown on Netflix in July.  We did get in and we did get to see Tony Robbins but unfortunately he wasn't able to stay for a Q&A afterwards but the director Joe Berlinger did.  Joe was the director of the great documentary about Metallica: Some Kind of Monster.

Joe explained that he met Tony socially years ago and didn't believe in the seminars but Tony invited him to attend one and even though he was skeptical it changed his mind and his life.  He decided he wanted to make a documentary about it and see if it was real and was persistent in asking Tony to let him do it and after a long time Tony finally agreed.  He didn't want the cameras to get in the way of the attendees experience.  Joe took a fly on the wall approach to filming and even though he did some interviews it is mostly just viewing people going through their experiences at the seminar and sharing their stories.

Because I was well aware of what Tony Robbins does after even seeing him live at a Millionaire Mind weekend seminar at the Metro Convention Centre years ago, note: don't go see him on a full stomach,  I wasn't able to stay until the end of his seminar but I got a good 40 minutes experience of it.  It's a non stop full impact high energy and very interactive presentation.  Prepare to be all in if you attend one of these seminars.  The one I attended was a weekend with many different speakers and although I was turned off by many of them because I found that most of them were just pushing books or future expensive seminars,  there were a few of the speakers that were very interesting and made a lot of sense.  I am sure Tony tried to sell some books and seminars but I left before he got to the sell part.  That was the only thing that turned me off was that most of these things get you hyped up and sucked in to spend more money, kind of like some psychics.  I am not saying Tony does this but it's because of this kind of practice that Tony has a lot of skeptics.  I do think he is the real deal and understands and can get to the root of someone's problems like a qualified psychologist.  I suppose you really need to experience it or read the books to see if things click for you.

I would suggest that you see the documentary and decide for yourself if you believe in it or not.
I do think that Tony is genuine and real and you have to be to do this for 30 plus years with countless corporations and celebrities.  Celebrities who were in attendance at the seminar shown in the documentary were Julian and Derek Hough and Maria Menounos.

He has a reputation as huge as he is and I suppose the title of the film speaks to the fact that you have to do the work and he just gives you the tools to do it.

I would recommend seeing the documentary if you don't know much about him and see if any of it relates to your own life.  Watch with an open mind and you will get something from it.

Madonna's former dancers Strike a Pose

STRIKE A POSE - Documentary - 2016

(photo by Linda Posnick)

Strike a Pose;top row: Salim Gauwloos, Oliver Crumes III, Carlton Wilborn, Kevin Stea 

bottom row: Luis Camacho, Jose Gutierez

In a continuation on my reviews of films that were screened at Hot Docs 2016 in Toronto this festival May 2016,  on the last weekend of the festival I attended the screening of Strike at Pose at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.  I heard I missed the screening that had all the men from the film at the screening but the screening I attended was just as popular and full.  I had to sit in the stiff neck section at the front of the theatre even.

The documentary was directed by Ester Gould and  Reijer Zwaan.

The subjects of the film were Madonna's former dancers from her Blonde Ambition tour and were seen in her controversial documentary TRUTH OR DARE.

The directors take a look at what has happened to these acclaimed dancers since the Blonde Ambition tour ended.

The film is a combination of laughs, sadness, irony, tragedy and triumph with all of these characters and I mean characters with big personalities and insane life stories.

Sadly Madonna doesn't appear in the film but is seen through clips from the Blonde Ambition tour and the Truth or Dare movie.  After the tour was over they all went their separate ways even though during the tour they became like a family with Madonna being the Matriarch.

The Truth or Dare documentary was Madonna's plan to push buttons and boundaries and the world and question everything that is thought of as the norm.  But there are always consequences to these actions and Madonna's challenge to her dancers to kiss turned into a legal battle following the outing of the dancers on film.  It's one thing for you to choose to come out in a public forum but another to be pushed out by a dare.

Strike a Pose tells each dancers story from the tour until current day.  I would say that all of the dancers have had various major life struggles since riding high on the tour.  Nothing lasts forever as they say.

The dancers hadn't kept in touch even though they loved each other but it took these documentary filmmakers to bring them together many years and many lives later.

This film will make you laugh and make you think and make you feel for these individuals that never attained the superstardom that Madonna did.

Although I am not big on giving films star ratings... I would give this one a SuperStar!!

Go see it if you get the chance..  It's a fun look at where we have come from.

for more info on the film go to their website:  http://ctm.nl/

One on One with Ants on a Shrimp director Maurice Dekkers

At Hot Docs I  had a quick one on one chat with Maurice Dekkers the Director of "Ants on a Shrimp", the documentary about famed Michelin Chef Rene Redzepi's restaurant Noma setting up a PopUp restaurant in Japan.

Maurice and his crew want to shoot like flies on a wall or ants on a shrimp and give the viewer a look from the inside of the inner workings of a high level restaurant in food development.  Rene's goal was to be uncomfortable and break outside of any pre conceived box that people expected him to fall in to. He was a stranger in a new place looking for a way to merge terroir, technique and style to create new dishes you could only find in that particular location at that particular time.

I asked Maurice 10 questions about the film and the food. 

1.  How did you become involved with this project?
"I was working with Rene on a a television series when the opportunity to document the Noma popup came up.

2.  How long did it take to film?
"A couple of months, about a month in the restaurant and the rest in Denmark and around Japan".

3.  What were some of the challenges?
It was self funded. Jumping on it quickly after discussing it with Rene.  It was his first long form documentary.

4.  What do you think about food bloggers?  We agreed that there are good ones and bad ones but he also said that food bloggers helped with his chocolate business, Tony's Chocolonely, in Amsterdam.  He also said that Rene likes storytelling and likes the way some bloggers tell a story about the food.

5.  How big was your crew?
It was a crew of 3 people.

6.  Did you and the crew get to eat any of the Noma food while filming?
"Yes of course, we were the Guinea Pigs".

7.  What was the weirdest thing you ate?
"Cod sperm" and foraged things you don't know you can eat.

8.   Do you have any other projects lined up?  "No, not now".  He will be busy doing the festival circuit for a while.

9.  Have you spent any time at any Toronto Restaurants?  He went to one restaurant for Tapas with the group from Eatable Films but he couldn't remember the name but he enjoyed it.

10.  Do you think Rene's approach in developing recipes using native local food could be a solution to issues like food insecurity, poverty and food waste?

He wasn't sure but thought maybe in some ways, although the food at Noma is very expensive because of the research and development and the man hours to produce the labour intensive food.

He also said that Rene's approach to the Japan Noma was to be uncomfortable and not do exactly what they did in Denmark but learn from their surroundings.

Read my post about the film "Ants on a Shrimp" here:

At the time of this post the film was just beginning the festival circuit so there isn't a theatrical release date yet.  

Sugar Coated at Hot Docs

My third food documentary that I saw at Hot Docs last night was called SUGAR COATED

SUGAR COATED is a film by Michele Hozer about the rise in consumption of Sugar and the related health care consequences since the 1970's.

Cristin Kearns a Denver dentist is fed up with the increase in cavities that she sees in her patients and starts to embark on a bit of research as to why it's happening.  She stumbles upon a goldmine of documents from an abandoned factory called Great West Sugar Company that was closed in 1976.  What she uncovers is a PR plan similar to the way they promoted smoking in the 70's.  A plan to fight anyone that said that sugar consumption was toxic or bad for your health.  They made sure that everyone said that in moderation it was a healthy part of life.  The responsibility of sugar consumption was placed on the consumer and that sugar was safe to use.  There was an increase in sugar substitutes when women were concerned with their weights and this PR machine set out to shut them down so that regular sugar consumption would increase.  

Sugar consumption has increased 100% in the past 20 years.  You have to wonder why that is the case.  

Dr. Robert Lustig a pediatric endocrinologist also appears in the film and was at the screening for the Q&A.  He sees the daily increase in the obesity of his patients and the earlier development of type 2 diabetes.  He blames the marketing of sugar to kids as one of the causes.  Everyday kids are bombarded with products that are overloaded in sugar.  Parents don't even know how much sugar they are consuming. 

Sugar is a part of so many things in our lives, Birthdays, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas and all kinds of other celebrations.  It's a reward for a hard day or a way to comfort someone when they are down.  Sugar acts like a drug in the brain making it very addictive and the more you eat the more you want.  But they will tell you that it's healthy and non addictive.  So why do 1 in 11 people now have diabetes when years ago it was 1 in 42?

The film provides a lot of scientific expertise and facts and uncovers the cover up of the sugar industry.  It's full of sugar porn too so you will either give up sugar or run out and get some right after.  But it will wake you up to how much sugar is consumed in our current day.

Beware of those packaged products and drinks that claim to be healthy.....

Foodies at Hot Docs

I was very interested in checking out the Documentary FOODIES at the Hot Docs Film Festival this week in Toronto since I also have a blog called Starving Foodie and have a lot of food blogger friends.  It wasn't the film that I expected though.

It's a documentary made by a Swedish production company and 3 directors,  Thomas Jackson, Charlotte Landellus and Henrik Stockare who became interested in exploring the world of foodies after speaking with some high profile chefs who follow where these global foodies go and what they say about the food.  It focuses on 5 different Foodies, an outspoken New Yorker, Steve Plotnicki, who used to work in the music business.  A demanding Brit Andy Hayler, who thinks his opinions are extremely important.  A younger Asian male Perm Paitayawat and the female Katie Keiko, who should totally get together and go to these restaurants together.  And a European fashion model Aiste Miseviciute, who loves to travel and explore different restaurants and take photos of her travels and meet up with friends along the way.

It was filled with a lot of "food porn" though and a lot of "what is that" kind of food.

They all say that they pay for their own meals and write whatever they want on their blogs.  They seem to have an endless supply of cash to travel the world and eat at all of the Michelin Star restaurants.  One is funded by his parents,  the young Asian girl saves her money to travel.  The fashion model also pays her own way.  The 2 older gentleman seem to have amassed their fortunes and now spend it travelling anywhere they want to.   One of the gentlemen has been to all of the Michelin star restaurants in the current years guide and is creating his own guide from an algorithm  he created based on the number of times the foodies eat at the restaurants.

Personally I couldn't relate to these Foodies.  They are nothing like the group of food bloggers that I meet up with at local media events and festivals in the city.  Maybe that's because we are Canadian and we are all very polite and grateful for a good meal.  We don't have deep pockets although a few are able to travel they aren't hitting up all of the Michelin star restaurants.  I only know one foodie who works in the medical profession who can afford to go to some of these restaurants.

Other than the model who seemed very personable and gracious I found a lot of the other ones kind of obnoxious and a bit rude.  The 2 younger Asian foodies seemed to be very withdrawn even.

My foodie friends are all very social and friendly so it was a bit odd for me to watch some of them.

What I enjoyed about the film was seeing all the different restaurants around the world.  Places I had never heard of in a lot of remote locations even.

It seems to be very popular at Hot Docs and I know that there are a whole lot of foodies in Toronto so I bet they were interested in seeing this film.

The film didn't have the heart that the other film I saw FOR GRACE  did but if you are into looking into the world of a few global food travellers then this is the film you should check out.

The New York man Steve Plotnicki was in attendance with the director for the Q&A after the film.  When asked where he had lunch he said Dynasty in Yorkville.  The audience just hummed...  not exactly where everyone expected him to go but he said it was his friend that chose the restaurant.

One thing of note.   Most of the scenes were shot of the foodies dining alone because the restaurants wouldn't let them film the other diners so it seemed a bit weird.  They said that they don't normally dine alone.

Documentary - For Grace

This week the Hot Docs Documentary Festival is going on in Toronto and I am hoping to see a few Food Documentaries and some other films.  Last night I went to see "For Grace".  a film by Chicago Tribune Food Writer and Filmmaker Kevin Pang and fellow Chicago filmmaker Mark Helenowski.

The story started as a short video and article project about Michelin Star Chef Curtis Duffy for the Chicago Tribune but once they realized it was more than a story about a superstar chef opening a new restaurant they decided to turn it into a feature documentary.

The film starts off similar to one of those restaurant makeover shows.  Chef Duffy is about to leave the restaurant Avenues to open his dream restaurant with his good friend and business partner.
You think you are about to watch a film about the struggles of opening a high end restaurant in Chicago and it is that but then it turns into a whole lot more.  The Chef lost both of his parents in a family tragedy just as he was beginning his culinary journey and a lovely Home Ec teacher took him under her wing and gave him support and guidance and is still in touch with him and was like a mother to him when he didn't have one.  He is newly divorced with 2 young girls at a time in his life when the pressure is on to succeed.  With his fractured family life he pours all of his time and energy into his culinary dream.  He opens his restaurant "For Grace" 9 months later than planned and a year later he receives 3 Michelin stars for the Best New Restaurant in Chicago.

Chef Duffy apprenticed with acclaimed Chef Greg Achatz and the two chefs share similar tragedies to success stories and how to work hard and still be a good person and succeed.  Chef Achatz had a mouth Cancer illness that he survived and he was featured in the documentary "Spinning Plates"

This film had many big guys in the audience shedding a tear at the end of the film.  While it had a bit of food porn it was a whole lot more than a story about food.  It was a story about working hard and overcoming life's difficult situations and how to maintain integrity and life balance in the process.

Chef Duffy's family are the people he spends up to 16 hours a day with everyday at the restaurant but it's his dream and he has sacrificed a lot to achieve his dream.

The filmmakers were in town for their premiere screening at the Scotiabank theatre last night but unfortunately the subject wasn't able to be at that screening.  Writer Pang who lives in Chicago now but happens to have lived in Scarborough as a kid.

I really enjoyed Chef Duffy's story, his passion and his great heart.

He will be in attendance for the second screening.  I wish I could attend that one.  I would love to meet him one day and wish that I could afford to go to his restaurant.  His restaurant serves plates at $700 each and that's why everything must be perfection.