Mugaritz and a film award

Andoni Luis Aduriz appears only occasionally, almost anecdotally, in Paco Plaza's film that won the Culinary Zinema award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, demonstrating that the music played in his restaurant is more choral than solo. Taking a step back, "not having the last word," as Aduriz himself says in the film, turns out to be a subversive act in a sector so prone in recent decades to personalism.

The documentary "Mugaritz. Without Bread or Dessert" deliberately avoids the splendor of a full dining room to delve into the period of reflection that runs from November to April, when the restaurant closes its doors to the public to create a completely new menu. This creative process, which the team undertakes each season, "is like a falla (a traditional Valencian bonfire) that burns down and starts all over again; each time it's different, but at its core it's the same: the fire, the passion, and the rebirth from the ashes," reflected the Valencian director during the official presentation.

At first, these are conversations where the core ideas that will govern the menu are distilled. The season that is about to end, and which the documentary portrays, revolves around the hidden; 'What Isn't Seen' has been the menu's title. The entire team is invited to participate in this creative process, which unfolds in an atmosphere of absolute freedom, at least in its initial stages. There will be time later to refine recipes, narrow down the dishes, and set limits. It's about trusting the process, allowing room for error so that unexpected things can happen. There's nothing more exciting than the sparkle in the team's eyes when they realize, "We've never done this before."

The leader is seen in his office, in conversations with professionals from other disciplines, or tasting dishes. It would be ridiculous to deny that today many haute cuisine kitchens operate like workshops and that dozens of dishes bearing a chef's signature were actually created by members of his team who remain anonymous.

But it takes the courage of an Aduriz to show it in a documentary. A few weeks ago, a retired American food critic published yet another diatribe against the chef on his blog, claiming his food “isn’t good” and implying that “no one on his team has dared to tell the emperor he’s naked.” It’s by witnessing the moments of exploration, mental wandering, and trial and error that Paco Plaza portrays that one truly understands why Andoni’s role in that creative ecosystem can hardly be described as imperial.

This simplicity is also reflected in the film's cinematic language, shot in a naturalistic style, with natural light and handheld camerawork, as if to demonstrate that a large-scale production isn't necessary to bring forth brilliant ideas. For the director, who specializes in horror films, it's a radical change of pace that may not fill theaters like the successful REC trilogy, but it's already beginning to bear fruit in the form of awards.

Vanguard from the rear

It's true that Mugaritz was playing on home turf this time. The Culinary Zinema series presented only four films in competition, each accompanied by a themed dinner served at the school by chefs such as...

Among the contenders were "Grand Maison Paris," by Japanese director Ayuko Tsukahara, about a chef's tense race to achieve his third star, the American "Shelf Life," which draws an analogy between cheese aging and human aging, and "Kita no syiokukei," about the relationships that four Japanese restaurants forge with their local producers.

The cycle closed with the out-of-competition premiere of "The Hole 2", by the Bilbao-born director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia.