Kings of Pastry
Encyclopedia
Kings of Pastry is a film by D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus that follows a group of world-class French pastry chefs as they compete for France's most prestigious craftsmen award: Meilleur Ouvrier de France
, awarded by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
. The competition, which takes place in Lyon
, France, features a diverse range of creative trade professions, from carpentry to jewelry design to pastry making. The honor of wearing the blue, white and red striped collar given to the winners is considered to be the ultimate recognition of excellence in the pastry field. The film focuses primarily on Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago’s French Pastry School, and one of the sixteen finalist chefs competing — the sixteen finalists were selected from eighty semi-finalists during the semi-final rounds that took place in the months prior to the final competition.
begins at the French Pastry School in Chicago
, where Jacquy prepares for the 2007 competition. While there, the School's co-founder and fellow teacher, Chef Sebastian Cannone, a previous winner, serves as Jacquy's mentor. The theme of this year's competition is marriage, and the competition requires that all competitors create a wedding buffet consisting of a wedding cake, a chocolate sculpture, a sugar sculpture, cream puffs, chocolate candies, breakfast pastries and jam, tea pastries, a restaurant-style dessert plate, and a small sculpture (known as the "bijou") to commemorate the competition. Everything in the buffet, with the exception of the bijou, must be made from scratch and assembled in front of the judges over a three-day period. Keeping in mind that the presentation of his buffet will be judged on par with its taste, Jacquy works to develop close to forty recipes that are as visually exquisite as they are delicious.
Once his recipes and training regiment are established, Jacquy returns to his childhood home in Alsace
where he adjusts his recipes to account for the nuances in French-quality baking ingredients. Jacquy is aware that the differences between French and American ingredients can affect the structure of his pastries as well as their taste. For example, French butter tends to have a higher fat and lower water content than American butter, and that slight variation can cause tremendous chemical complications in the baking process. While Jacquy is prepared to adjust his recipes, he does not foresee the timing challenges that will require him to rapidly revise his wedding cake and sugar sculpture in time for the fast-approaching competition.
While in France, the film introduces two other competing chefs, Regis Lazard and Philippe Rigollot. Regis, who worked at Gerard Cayotte's patisserie in Luxembourg
, is coached by the pastry chef for French President Nicolas Sarkozy
. This is his second time competing Rigollot is the pastry chef at the renowned Valence restaurant, Maison Pic, which is the only three-star restaurant in France owned by a woman. This is Rigollot's first time competing. Shortly after the 2007 competition, Rigollot opened his own pastry shop in Annecy
, Pâtisserie Philippe Rigollot.
Following the preparation period, the film continues on to Lyon for the final competition. Over the course of three grueling days, the sixteen finalists meticulously assemble their buffets under the constant scrutiny of the judges, among whom are world-renown pastry chefs Jacques Torres
, Pascal Niau, and Pierre Herme
. Since the contestants are critiqued not only on the taste and artistic quality of their buffet but on their workmanship as well, the judges let no detail of the process go unnoticed. They inspect the chefs' work spaces for signs of messiness, going as far as to examine the chefs' aprons for fingerprints, and their waste-bins for discarded surplus. Their ubiquitous presence does little to ease the contestants' anxiety, and instead, the chefs' mounting stress threatens the stability of their alarmingly delicate sugar sculptures. As the final day of the competition draws to a close, and the contestants race to finish their buffets, the panic among them swells, and more than one chef and delicacy buckle under the pressure.
; Al Franken: God Spoke
) and Flora Lazar—Lazar graduated from Chicago's French Pastry School in 2007. It was filmed by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker, joined by Nick Doob in Lyon. Permission to film the competition in Lyon was granted to Pennebaker Hegedus Films at the last minute, though the MOF committee stipulated that the filmmakers use only certain sound and lighting equipment. On the final day of the competition, the judges further restricted the camera team to filming from designated three-foot square boxes drawn next to the assembly tables.
Music for the film was supervised by Alex Toledano and scored in part by Sebastien Giniaux, who also contributed an original arrangement of "La Marseillaise
." The soundtrack includes Django Reinhardt
's "Keep Cool," "The World is Waiting For The Sunrise," "Menilmontant," and "Bricktop."
, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
, the Los Angeles Film Festival
, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, to name a few . It had its theatrical premiere at New York’s Film Forum
on September 15th, 2010, and was released on DVD in March 2011.
The film received favorable reviews from, among others, the Los Angeles Times
, the San Francisco Chronicle
, the Washington Post, and New York Magazine, and currently maintains a 91% rating on the film critic site Rotten Tomatoes
.
, was named Dessert Professional’s 2011 Pastry Hall of Fame Honoree, and is featured at the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London as part of the Power of Making exhibition. Jacquy also coached the winning team at the National Pastry Championship, which will represent the United States in the 2012 World Pastry Championship. He continues to teach at Chicago’s French Pastry School.
can bring. These chefs sacrifice tremendous amounts of time and money to their profession in the hopes of achieving a level of knowledge that will forever distinguish them as the best in their field. Their perseverance and hard work reminds the film's audience that an education, of any kind, is never complete, but an evolving and boundless pursuit.
In the United States, vocational education is not often considered to be a suitable, satisfying alternative to a traditional academic curriculum. Notwithstanding the high college drop-out rates that incur from the enormous cost of higher education, and the disengagement many students feel from their academic studies, American high school students are encouraged to enroll in traditional Four Year degree programs. Kings of Pastry documents an alternative to that approach, and captures a group of craftsmen who have found the type of success and gratification in their careers that is typically associated with higher degree professions.
Meilleur Ouvrier de France
"Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France" is a craftsmen competition, held every four years.The title of Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France is a unique award in France according to category of trades in a contest between professionals. This contest is organized and recognized as a third-level degree...
, awarded by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. The competition, which takes place in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France, features a diverse range of creative trade professions, from carpentry to jewelry design to pastry making. The honor of wearing the blue, white and red striped collar given to the winners is considered to be the ultimate recognition of excellence in the pastry field. The film focuses primarily on Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago’s French Pastry School, and one of the sixteen finalist chefs competing — the sixteen finalists were selected from eighty semi-finalists during the semi-final rounds that took place in the months prior to the final competition.
Plot
The film features Jacquy Pfeiffer, Regis Lazard, Philippe Rigollot, and Sebastien Canonne andbegins at the French Pastry School in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where Jacquy prepares for the 2007 competition. While there, the School's co-founder and fellow teacher, Chef Sebastian Cannone, a previous winner, serves as Jacquy's mentor. The theme of this year's competition is marriage, and the competition requires that all competitors create a wedding buffet consisting of a wedding cake, a chocolate sculpture, a sugar sculpture, cream puffs, chocolate candies, breakfast pastries and jam, tea pastries, a restaurant-style dessert plate, and a small sculpture (known as the "bijou") to commemorate the competition. Everything in the buffet, with the exception of the bijou, must be made from scratch and assembled in front of the judges over a three-day period. Keeping in mind that the presentation of his buffet will be judged on par with its taste, Jacquy works to develop close to forty recipes that are as visually exquisite as they are delicious.
Once his recipes and training regiment are established, Jacquy returns to his childhood home in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
where he adjusts his recipes to account for the nuances in French-quality baking ingredients. Jacquy is aware that the differences between French and American ingredients can affect the structure of his pastries as well as their taste. For example, French butter tends to have a higher fat and lower water content than American butter, and that slight variation can cause tremendous chemical complications in the baking process. While Jacquy is prepared to adjust his recipes, he does not foresee the timing challenges that will require him to rapidly revise his wedding cake and sugar sculpture in time for the fast-approaching competition.
While in France, the film introduces two other competing chefs, Regis Lazard and Philippe Rigollot. Regis, who worked at Gerard Cayotte's patisserie in Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, is coached by the pastry chef for French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. This is his second time competing Rigollot is the pastry chef at the renowned Valence restaurant, Maison Pic, which is the only three-star restaurant in France owned by a woman. This is Rigollot's first time competing. Shortly after the 2007 competition, Rigollot opened his own pastry shop in Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
, Pâtisserie Philippe Rigollot.
Following the preparation period, the film continues on to Lyon for the final competition. Over the course of three grueling days, the sixteen finalists meticulously assemble their buffets under the constant scrutiny of the judges, among whom are world-renown pastry chefs Jacques Torres
Jacques Torres
Jacques Torres, known as “Mr. Chocolate,” is a master pastry chef. Torres is a prominent member of the FCI community, leading the Pastry Arts as well as holding pastry demonstrations.- Biography :...
, Pascal Niau, and Pierre Herme
Pierre Hermé
Pierre Hermé is a French pastry chef most famous for his macarons, often with unusual flavor combinations. French Vogue magazine dubbed him "The Picasso of Pastry."- Food :...
. Since the contestants are critiqued not only on the taste and artistic quality of their buffet but on their workmanship as well, the judges let no detail of the process go unnoticed. They inspect the chefs' work spaces for signs of messiness, going as far as to examine the chefs' aprons for fingerprints, and their waste-bins for discarded surplus. Their ubiquitous presence does little to ease the contestants' anxiety, and instead, the chefs' mounting stress threatens the stability of their alarmingly delicate sugar sculptures. As the final day of the competition draws to a close, and the contestants race to finish their buffets, the panic among them swells, and more than one chef and delicacy buckle under the pressure.
Production
Kings of Pastry is the first visual documentation of the competition, which had never before been captured on film. It was produced by Frazer Pennebaker (The War RoomThe War Room
The War Room is a 1993 American documentary film about Bill Clinton's campaign for President of the United States during the 1992 presidential election.-Background:...
; Al Franken: God Spoke
Al Franken: God Spoke
Al Franken: God Spoke is a 2006 documentary film starring political commentator and current United States Senator Al Franken. The film was made by the same producers of The War Room...
) and Flora Lazar—Lazar graduated from Chicago's French Pastry School in 2007. It was filmed by Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker, joined by Nick Doob in Lyon. Permission to film the competition in Lyon was granted to Pennebaker Hegedus Films at the last minute, though the MOF committee stipulated that the filmmakers use only certain sound and lighting equipment. On the final day of the competition, the judges further restricted the camera team to filming from designated three-foot square boxes drawn next to the assembly tables.
Music for the film was supervised by Alex Toledano and scored in part by Sebastien Giniaux, who also contributed an original arrangement of "La Marseillaise
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
." The soundtrack includes Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
's "Keep Cool," "The World is Waiting For The Sunrise," "Menilmontant," and "Bricktop."
Reception
Prior to its release, Kings of Pastry was screened at the Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight...
, the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, to name a few . It had its theatrical premiere at New York’s Film Forum
Film Forum
Film Forum is a nonprofit movie theater located at 209 West Houston Street in New York City. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films, with 50 folding chairs, one projector and a US$19,000 annual budget. Karen Cooper became director in 1972 and under her leadership,...
on September 15th, 2010, and was released on DVD in March 2011.
The film received favorable reviews from, among others, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, the Washington Post, and New York Magazine, and currently maintains a 91% rating on the film critic site Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer
Following the release of Kings of Pastry, Jacquy Pfieffer has been featured in a number of culinary publications and exhibitions. He appeared on Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, was named Dessert Professional’s 2011 Pastry Hall of Fame Honoree, and is featured at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London as part of the Power of Making exhibition. Jacquy also coached the winning team at the National Pastry Championship, which will represent the United States in the 2012 World Pastry Championship. He continues to teach at Chicago’s French Pastry School.
Kings of Pastry and Education
In the opening scene of Kings of Pastry, French President Nicholas Sarkozy addresses the newly-honored MOFs at their initiation ceremony. He calls for a blurring of the line that has divided trade professions from their intellectual counterparts, and reminds his audience not to think of "manual knowledge to be less noble than academic knowledge, less capable to create wealth and well being." Indeed, the dedication to their craft demonstrated by the Kings of Pastry chefs exemplifies the sort of lifelong commitment to learning and achievement that a vocational educationVocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
can bring. These chefs sacrifice tremendous amounts of time and money to their profession in the hopes of achieving a level of knowledge that will forever distinguish them as the best in their field. Their perseverance and hard work reminds the film's audience that an education, of any kind, is never complete, but an evolving and boundless pursuit.
In the United States, vocational education is not often considered to be a suitable, satisfying alternative to a traditional academic curriculum. Notwithstanding the high college drop-out rates that incur from the enormous cost of higher education, and the disengagement many students feel from their academic studies, American high school students are encouraged to enroll in traditional Four Year degree programs. Kings of Pastry documents an alternative to that approach, and captures a group of craftsmen who have found the type of success and gratification in their careers that is typically associated with higher degree professions.