Beginning Friday, March 1 this film will be available to stream on pbs.org and on the PBS App ahead of the broadcast premiere Sunday, March 24, 2024 at Noon on KPBS TV and March 24 at 1 p.m. on KPBS 2
Legendary documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman’s latest film, "Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros" is guaranteed to please fans of documentaries, food, family sagas, and travel. The film follows the Troisgros family in central France and their three restaurants.
This is a film about the Troisgros family and their restaurants, Troisgros, Le Central, and Colline de Colombia, located in three neighboring locations in central France. Much of the film takes place near Roanne at Troisgros, where the present chef, César Troisgros, is the fourth generation of the family to be in charge. Founded 93 years ago, the restaurant has maintained three Michelin stars for 55 years.
The film explores the day-to-day operations of this restaurant, from purchasing fresh vegetables at the market, visits to a cheese processing plant, a vineyard, a cattle ranch working on best farming practices, and an organic farmer whose farm, along with the garden of the restaurant, provides organic produce for the restaurants.
The film shows the great artistry ingenuity, imagination, and hard work of the restaurant staff in creating, preparing, and presenting meals of the highest quality. Characterized by his signature long-form style, Wiseman juxtaposes the choreographed chaos of the kitchen with pastoral shots of the French countryside, resulting in a comprehensive portrait of the Troisgros dynasty.
Filmmaker Quote:
“A film about a restaurant aligns with my institutional series and making a film about a 3-star Michelin restaurant has always been one of my fantasies,” said Wiseman. “While visiting Burgundy in the summer of 2020, I had lunch with friends at Troisgros. After the meal, I spontaneously asked Chef César Troisgros if he would consider a documentary film about his restaurant, which started the incredible journey of producing this film.”
Throughout the film, the family’s interest in biodiversity is illustrated in their choice and preparation of their distinctive menu and their efforts to reduce food waste. Additionally, the collaboration within the Troisgros family is evident as the father, Michel, ponders the transfer of leadership in the kitchen to his son and collaborates with his wife, who runs the hotel, and his other son who runs La Colline de Colombia.
"Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros" was selected as the best non-fiction film of 2023 by the New York, Los Angeles, and National Film Critics Associations.
Watch On Your Schedule:
The documentary will also be available to stream for free from March 1- April 20 on PBS.org and the PBS App.
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Credits:
A film by Frederick Wiseman. Producer, Director, Editor Frederick Wiseman, photography James Bishop, sound Jean-Paul Mugel, producers Karen Konicek & Oliver Giel. Produced by 3 Star LLC in association with Zipporah Films, GBH, and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided to ITVS by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The film was made possible by JustFilms Ford Foundation and Pershing Square Foundation. Fiscal sponsor Filmmakers Collaborative.
