First Look: 'Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles'
The latest documentary feature by director Laura Gabbert ("City of Gold," "No Impact Man," "Sunset Story"), "Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles" unveils the collaboration between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and global food sensation Yotam Ottolenghi in their retelling of the rise and fall of Versailles through pastry.
The 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 cyclical intersection between food, culture, and history.
At a time when the French Monarchy lived in the public eye to help broadcast the country's splendor and wealth, the king's subjects felt only exclusion and unrest. Fast forward 150 years to the advent of social media and we find a new populace broadcasting their riches, food, and prosperity. In its wake, we see a familiar longing for community, a similar patriarchal structure, and the same potential for revolution. From history to food, the film explores the intersection of craft and excess.
The film's world premiere was slated for screening as part of this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which was canceled due to the coronavirus. "Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles" has yet to secure U.S. distribution.