2021 | UK | Colour | 95′ | DCP
Director: Philip Barantini
Screenwriters: James Cummings, Philip Barantini
Cinematographer: Matthew Lewis
Cast: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham
In English with Chinese and English subtitles
Post-screening seminar in Cantonese on 27th December at Hong Kong Film Archive
Speakers: Irving Cheung, Leung Tsz-yin | Host: Ernest Chan
On the busiest night before Christmas at a fine dining restaurant in London, tables are fully booked, ingredients are running low, and staff are arriving late. Before the doors have even opened, the kitchen is already in chaos. To make things worse, a health inspector arrives for an inspection, deeming the kitchen hygiene substandard. Even the seasoned head chef felt under immense pressure, his nerves taut, seemingly weighed down by deep concerns. As guests stream in, one is planning a marriage proposal, some are deliberately causing trouble, and a celebrity chef unexpectedly hosts a surprise visit of a food critic. Chaos is looming and everything is on the line. A signature work from the creative team behind Adolescence, this film draws on the personal experiences of chef-turned-director Philip Barantini. Originally conceived as a short film of the same name, it was expanded into a 90-minute single-take film. Through the actors’ precise performances, it captures the suffocating tension both inside and outside the kitchen, immersing the audience in an escalating vortex of conflict and pressure.
Director: Philip Barantini
Screenwriters: James Cummings, Philip Barantini
Cinematographer: Matthew Lewis
Cast: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham
In English with Chinese and English subtitles
Post-screening seminar in Cantonese on 27th December at Hong Kong Film Archive
Speakers: Irving Cheung, Leung Tsz-yin | Host: Ernest Chan
On the busiest night before Christmas at a fine dining restaurant in London, tables are fully booked, ingredients are running low, and staff are arriving late. Before the doors have even opened, the kitchen is already in chaos. To make things worse, a health inspector arrives for an inspection, deeming the kitchen hygiene substandard. Even the seasoned head chef felt under immense pressure, his nerves taut, seemingly weighed down by deep concerns. As guests stream in, one is planning a marriage proposal, some are deliberately causing trouble, and a celebrity chef unexpectedly hosts a surprise visit of a food critic. Chaos is looming and everything is on the line. A signature work from the creative team behind Adolescence, this film draws on the personal experiences of chef-turned-director Philip Barantini. Originally conceived as a short film of the same name, it was expanded into a 90-minute single-take film. Through the actors’ precise performances, it captures the suffocating tension both inside and outside the kitchen, immersing the audience in an escalating vortex of conflict and pressure.