Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles
- All Sites: 07 Jan 2021
Documenting the collaboration between world renowned chef Yotam Ottolenghi (Jerusalem, Plenty) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, this feature film follows five visionary pastry makers as they endeavor to construct an extravagant food gala based on the art exhibit "Visitors to Versailles." Exploring the relationship between modern-day social media and the open court of the French Monarchy, the film studies the alarmingly cyclical intersection between food, culture, and history.
★★★★ - ABC Radio
"Documentary filmmaker Laura Gabbert has struck (delicious) gold with her latest film"
"Shrewdly balances a careful juggling act between allowing us to celebrate the breathtaking edible artworks that the film documents, while simultaneously demanding we question the broader social, cultural and economic symbolism of such work"
"Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles offers food porn of the highest order, with mouthwatering creations that visually stun." ... "Not, under any circumstances, should you watch this on an empty stomach – you’ll never last even the slim-running time without feeling the need for a desperate dash back to the foyer." - Stuff.co.nz
"For such a sweet film, “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” evolves into a complex exploration of the symbiotic relationship between money and art, and questions what the visibility of that conspicuous consumption could portend." - LA Times
"The making of “Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles” was as complex as the confections created by the renowned pastry chefs it focuses on — and the result is equal parts beauty for both food and film." - Variety
"Tying the movie together is Ottolenghi’s generous personality, and his conviction that “a recipe is not that good if it doesn’t include a story.” - NY Times