Cooking History

Running time: 88 mins

6 Wars. 10 Recipes. 60,361,024 Dead.

Six wars, all spanning the 20th century: World War II, Algeria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Balkans and finally Chechnya. And all those armies have to eat. In truth, there can be "no war without food."

Here is the history of the 20th century as you?ve never seen it before, through the eyes of the men manning the pots and pans: cooking by the book, cooking by intuition; those who cook for their country, those who cook for (and sometimes poison) the enemy. For each army there is a different approach, a different language, a different cuisine.

The incredible artistry of the filmmakers and the brilliantly presented scenes ranging from the heartfelt to the surreal are constantly astounding, as is the cornucopia of subtextual implications. But what is perhaps most surprising about this amazing film is how hugely entertaining it is.

And all of the recipes end with ?a pinch of salt.?

- Charlie Cockey

Preceded by the short film: AMOKLOVE; Director: Julia C. Kaiser, Country: Germany, Film Info: 9 min - A declaration of love during a cardiac recess.