„Pleasure Menus – The Troisgros Family” is one of the most outstanding documentaries of recent years, which has been screened at more than twenty film festivals around the world. In Lithuania, this film will be shown at the Vilnius Documentary Film Festival, which will be held on September 19-29.
The director is interviewed by artist and filmmaker Simona Žemaitytė.
– You are considered one of the most important documentary directors currently working. Your work has influenced several generations of filmmakers. There is no question about your contribution to the documentary, but I wonder what cinema has given you all these years?
– Gave activities. I am obsessed, I love to work. Otherwise, it’s boring. Documentaries and cinema allowed me to express my thoughts and fantasies. Filmmaking has allowed me to spend my time the way I like. If you want, I will also give an ambitious answer. Have you read Chekhov’s The Seagull? There is a speech by a young writer that I would like to say. It is about work. And I continue to work, from one week to the next. This is my way of exploring the world.
– You have made many films about institutions, starting with the then controversial Titicut Follies. Is your latest film also part of the institutional series?
– The Troisgros family restaurant has maintained 3 Michelin stars for 55 years. The restaurant itself has existed for 80 years. I have not defined myself very clearly what an institution is. However, I found it quite significant that the same family has been keeping the restaurant going for 80 years. Now the fourth generation works there. It also seemed significant that the result of their work is delicious food that is very pleasant to look at. I thought it could make an interesting movie.
– Do filmmaking and cooking have anything in common?
– What Troisgros does is an art form. True, temporary, ephemeral. The result here is an exceptional taste, an eye-pleasing presentation. In the film we see how they create. The movement in the kitchen reminded me of the days when I was making ballet films. Both dancing and cooking in a prestigious restaurant, a lot of work goes into preparation. Performances are temporary and rehearsals last 8-12 weeks. In the Troisgros restaurant, I see very obvious parallels with other forms of temporary art.
Organizers’ photo/Shot from the documentary “Menu Plaisirs – Troigros family”
– Do you like to cook yourself?
– I like to cook and I like to eat good food. I admire the Troisgros family, their work and the quality of the result.
– You talked about work and its meaning. Not surprisingly, working people are also often in front of your camera. Ballet dancers, actors, gallery workers…
– I am interested in the world and some strange aspects of life. Making a film allows me to explore a chosen world and understand what I think about it. In a way, every film is like a report of what I think about the experience of making it.
– Movie “Pleasure Menus – The Troisgros family” lasts four hours. And it’s not even your longest documentary. It would be interesting to hear more about what determines the length of movies.
– I often take on complex topics, and it is impossible to present them in a short time. As far as I know, God didn’t say that a movie has to be 90 minutes long. So who decided that? In my mind, this is wrong. When creating, I choose complex topics and want to reveal all their complexity. Sometimes a movie lasts 75 minutes, like for example the film “High School”. On the other hand, One Step From Death is 6 hours long because it tells the story of people dying. The length of the film is determined by the complexity of the subject. When I start editing, I don’t think that I have to make a 90-minute or 6-hour film. I start filming, and the tape takes a length that is appropriate for the subject. The available material must be handled adequately.
Photo by John Ewing/Director Frederick Wiseman
– How long does your filmmaking process take?
– Some of my films, especially the early ones, were shot for several months. Others – 7-8 weeks, sometimes twelve. These are usually movies that include performances. I enjoy filming both rehearsals and performance. I filmed the Troisgros family for 7 weeks. It all depends on the topic.
– It’s interesting that you once studied law. How it helped in filmmaking. Or: how much lawyer is still in you?
– I don’t think it helped. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say that. It’s not like it didn’t help at all. In law school, we had to think logically and analyze problems. But when creating and editing films, you analyze the world in a completely different way. Law is formally logical. And the logic of filmmaking is usually more associative. Must find a way to combine images. Filmmaking has little in common with studying law. I didn’t like law from the beginning. I never attended lectures. I knew how to answer the exams, so I passed. But I never liked the law, I was never attracted to it.
– How did you end up in the cinema then?
– I was thirty-one, maybe thirty-two. I taught law, I didn’t like it. I thought I needed to find something that I would really enjoy doing in life. I didn’t have much experience with movies. I had shot with 8mm film, but that was it. Then I just started working in cinema. That was so many years ago! Back then, film schools were on every corner. I contributed to the creation of a feature-length, semi-documentary film. This is how I demystified the filmmaking process for myself. I thought, “If the people I work for can make a movie, so can I.” That’s how I started creating. I worked hard to succeed. And I was lucky, the effort paid off.
– And then you became the so-called direct cinema pioneer of the genre, master of observational documentary.
– I don’t like these labels. I just make movies. “Observational documentary” is a terrible term. It’s like just sitting in a corner and watching what’s going on. But after all, all movies involve tens of thousands of decisions. Choices of what to film, how to film, how to connect and edit everything. As a term, “observational documentary” is too passive. oh direct cinema… I don’t know what that means. So, I just make movies.
– Does this mean that you always make films using the same method?
– Yes, the method is always the same. However, I believe that I have learned something in all these years. The method has improved, I think that is reflected in the films. I have been working for almost 60 years. So I’d like to think I’ve learned something in that time, and it’s reflected in the results.
– Do you have one or several films that mean a lot to you?
– Which of my children is the most beloved to me? It changes with time…
– What movies do you watch yourself?
– Most of them were created in the thirties and forties. I like Ernst Lubitsch and stuff like that. Billy Wilder, The Marx Brothers. Good directors that everyone likes.
– You have been creating for many years, you have presented films in various eras, in various contexts. Is the way we watch movies changing?
– I don’t know how to answer this question. I can only say how I see them myself. This is my profession. When watching, I am perhaps more attentive to one aspect or another than someone who does not make films. This also determines my assessment. How could I consider anyone other than myself when making a film? That would be a fantasy. It’s quite difficult for me to come to grips with my own ideas of how to make a film. How could I value someone else’s perspective, especially considering how different people’s life experiences and cultures are. Directors who say they have to imagine an audience while creating are either lying or fantasizing. Thinking about your audience is a complete waste of time. I don’t know how to do it.
– After finishing the film, do you keep in touch with its characters?
– No. So far, I have only been in touch with the Troisgros family, some of the actors and the administrators of the ballet company, as I am also interested in acting and dancing. Contact remains in cases where we have common interests. Otherwise, no. When creating, I don’t want to give the impression that I’m looking for new friends. I am friendly but remain professional.
This year, the 21st Vilnius Documentary Film Festival will take place on September 19-29. in Vilnius and Klaipėda. The festival program can be found in the updated version on the website
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#Documentary #Michelin #star #restaurant #Cooking #art #form #Culture
2024-09-06 17:09:37
Pleasure Menus: A Glimpse into the World of the Troisgros Family
The Vilnius Documentary Film Festival, taking place on September 19-29, will feature one of the most outstanding documentaries of recent years – “Pleasure Menus - The Troisgros Family”. This film has been screened at over twenty film festivals worldwide and is a must-see for anyone interested in the world of haute cuisine and filmmaking.
A Conversation with a Legendary Director
The director of “Pleasure Menus” sat down with artist and filmmaker Simona Žemaitytė to discuss his latest project. When asked what cinema has given him over the years, he replied, ”Activities. I am obsessed, I love to work. Otherwise, it’s boring. Documentaries and cinema allowed me to express my thoughts and fantasies. Filmmaking has allowed me to spend my time the way I like.”
Institutional Series
The director’s latest film is not just a culinary exploration but also a continuation of his institutional series, which began with the controversial ”Titicut Follies”. He explained, “The Troisgros family restaurant has maintained 3 Michelin stars for 55 years. The restaurant itself has existed for 80 years. I have
