NON-FICTION AT VENICE BIENNALE/3

Frederick Wiseman – and the restaurants. The new documentary on human desires and imagination: Menus Plaisirs.

Frederick Wiseman' notes:

«…During the summer of 2020, I stayed at a friend’s house in Burgundy for a month. To thank my friends, I looked in the Guide Michelin for a good restaurant nearby. I found Troisgros and we had a great lunch. After the meal, the Chef, César Troisgros stopped by our table. We thanked him for the delicious meal. Without planning, I suddenly asked him whether he would consider having a documentary film made about his restaurant. He said he would think about it and came back a half an hour later and said, “why not?” We then exchanged some letters, and he granted me formal permission. I waited to shoot the film until spring of 2022, when the Covid epidemic waned. Making a film about a 3-star Michelin restaurant had always been one of my fantasies. Also, I thought a film about a restaurant had links to my institutional series.»

Menus Plaisirs is a film about the Troisgros family and their three restaurants: Troisgros, Le Central and La Colline, located in three neighboring locations in central France. Troisgros, a restaurant founded 93 years ago, has had three Michelin stars for 55 years and in 2020 was awarded a Michelin green star for exemplary sustainable practices. Much of the film takes place at Troisgros. The present chef, César Troisgros, is the fourth generation of the family to be in charge at Troisgros. The film shows the day-to-day operations involving the purchase, preparation and service at this restaurant.

Scenes in the film also include purchasing fresh vegetables at the market, visits to a cheese processing plant, a vineyard, a cattle ranch working on best farming practices, and an organic farmer whose farm, along with the garden of the restaurant, provides organic produce for the restaurants. The Troisgros family’s interest in biodiversity is illustrated in their choice and preparation of their distinctive menu and their efforts to reduce food waste. The film shows the great artistry ingenuity, imagination, and hard work of the restaurant staff in creating, preparing, and presenting meals of the highest quality. Additionally, the collaboration within the Troisgros family is evident as the father, Michel, transfers the leadership in the kitchen to his son, César and collaborates with his wife, who runs the hotel and his other son, Léo, who runs La Colline.