From master documentarians Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker comes this foodie film chronicling a three-day contest of mastery among French pastry chefs. They're the finest in the world, all vying to be named Meilleur Ouvrier de France ("Best Craftsman in France").
Jacquy Pfeiffer, founder of Chicago's French Pastry School, returns to France to compete with 15 others, who must create confections ranging from delicate meringues to fantastical cakes, with President Nicolas Sarkozy presenting the awards. Forget Andy Goldsworthy and his tenuous towers of pebbles: these are sculptors of sugar, a material more brittle than robin's eggs.
It's not athletic, but these chefs do rely on skill and luck to make sure their creations and their patience don't crumble under the pressure. Hegedus and Pennebaker treat this event as both rehearsal and performance, allowing occasional moments of beauty and humanity to peek through.
