By Jared Bloch
Writer/Director Peter Kerekes
What happens to the war effort when the Army chef spoils the food? As one character in Peter Kerekes “Cooking History” proclaims, “there is no war without food.” And maybe no successful war campaign without good food.
The premise for this alternately wry and sobering movie evolved out of a conversation between Kerekes and his father. “The idea was to collect stories from ordinary people, and to show how they can, and have changed history,” Kerekes told Geneva Lunch during a conversation on the final day of the 2009 Visions du Réel Film Festivalin Nyon.
"Cooking History" Q&A
In spite of the overt politicization of food and the preparation of food portrayed in the movie, Kerekes does not want “Cooking History” to be read as a political movie. For the filmmaker, the character portrayals in the film are first and foremost stories of humanitarian interest.
Research for the film included in-depth interviews with a series of army cooks selected from different countries over several months. Kerekes said he solicited the veterans for anecdotes about their experiences in the armed forces and then let them talk.
Through the interviewing process, he established a rapport with the individuals whereby they began freely exploring their own narratives. Eventually, he selected 20 percent of those interviewed, based on the human interest he perceived in their stories. “I was curious about the moments of independent decision displayed in the anecdotes,” Kerekes said.
The stories recounted in “Cooking History” unfold naturally, bringing a vibrancy and a creativity verging on personal fiction to the film. Kerekes frees the protagonists from a two-dimensional historical accounting through the use of theatrical stagings of the monologues. In doing so, he “sought to invent unnatural scenarios where the protagonist and the director are equals. . . leading to unexpected situations where the protagonists themselves begin to ‘play’ and to add to the stories.” The decision to submit the movie for a premiere in Nyon was based in part on the emphasis Visions du Réel Festival places on the art of film making, said Kerekes.
GL: Given the gravity of the histories being recounted did this become a form of therapy at times for the protagonists?
PK: “Yes undoubtedly. One example is the the German in the cornfield describing withholding food from a prisoner. This came out after filming was over and was a sort of breakdown.”
GL: What projects are you working on now?
PK: “I am starting a work on peoples’ relationships to material things. What things would you take if you had to leave your home forever? This could be a refugee, or even someone displaced by natural disaster.”
GL:Was filmmaking your vocation of choice, or did you arrive here haphazardly?
PK: “I went straight to film school when I was 18. As I get older, I do question this path and wonder if there is something more important for me to be doing. Other days I think about how nice it would be to have a day job, like working as a cook. But when you look at dire human situations, and see the strength people find within, this is inspiring.”
Stark Confession in a cornfield
For Kerekes, capturing human inspiration and life’s bright points is key to film making. This optimism shines through the otherwise sobering accounts and stark confessions revealed in the movie, via a well defined humor. It is this bittersweet sensibility that makes “Cooking History” such a joy to watch and to listen to, and which is likely to prompt audiences to keep their eyes peeled for future works from Peter Kerekes.
News story, GenevaLunch, 4 May 2009.
