Suzanne Barr - The Gladstone Hotel
The Heat
A Kitchen (R)evolution
A documentary film by Maya Gallus
It takes a bold personality to ascend the ranks of the male dominated restaurant industry.Meet seven female chefs at the vanguard of change.
The Heat takes viewers behind-the-scenes to meet pioneers who broke through the glass ceiling, including Michelin-starred chefs Anne-Sophie Pic (a.k.a. the “Queen of French Cuisine”) of Maison Pic in Valence, France; beloved UK star Angela Hartnett (and Gordon Ramsay’s former protégé) of Murano; and award-winning New York chef Anita Lo (who closes her iconic New York restaurant Annisa after 17 years).
We’ll also meet the hungry talents of a new generation, including Amanda Cohen of the trendy vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Candy in New York’s Lower East Side; Victoria Blamey of the famed Greenwich Village Chumley’s in New York; Suzanne Barr of Toronto’s trendy Saturday Dinette, who is diversifying her kitchens one restaurant at a time; and renegade chef Charlotte Langley, who has done away with traditional brick and mortar to host elaborate dinners off the grid.
Ivy Knight- Food Writer (86'd)
I have been lucky to have seen Toronto's Ivy Knight, Charlotte Langley and Susanne Barr in action at various pop ups around town and I can tell you that doing these pop ups are no joke. It's a lot of work in a short amount of time and the difference is that they have to haul their stuff to events unlike the set kitchen environment.
Charlotte Langley
Ivy Knight who is now a food writer and host of the Drake's 86'd events is a vocal champion for women's rights in the kitchen and I can tell you that the government of Ontario is trying to make harassment in the workplace a priority to change the culture and make it more equitable and respectful. I have a friend that worked in a few kitchens and she couldn't handle the misogyny and most of the female chefs generally try and deal with it if they want to work in certain kitchens. I found watching the film similar to the way it is in the Film Industry. Hot Docs has really stepped up and equalled the playing field with 50 percent of this years films being directed by women filmmakers but it wasn't always that way. Try and name 10 top female directors in Hollywood today. From my experience women are not taken as seriously and they are not propped up the same way as their male counterparts. I have seen some amazing female chefs and I have also worked with female directors who have all given up on the industry because of financial reasons, myself included.
I was familiar with Anita Lo from watching her on one of the Top Chef shows and she is very focused and extremely professional but I bet I wouldn't know who she is if she didn't appear on a Food Network Show.
Anita Lo
The film shows 3 Michelin Chefs who are trying to change the way things are done in the Professional Kitchens but the male chefs seem to get all the attention from the media.
We must support them and praise Chefs based on their skills and not their gender or age.
If you are an aspiring female chef I recommend that you see this film to see what the experience has been for these 7 chefs in various types of kitchens. Male chefs should see this too so they can understand how the boys club affects the whole industry.
The last screening at Hot Docs is Sunday, May 6th at 3:30pm the the Isabel Bader Theatre but the tickets have already gone RUSH so you may have to take your chance to try and get in or wait until it gets distribution into the theatres.
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