You might reconsider a career in confections after watching Kings of Pastry, 84 minutes of heart-pounding intensity in which sixteen French pastry chefs commune for three days in Lyon, France in a grueling battle to become the country’s Best Craftsman as judged by French president Nicolas Sarkozy; the victorious chefs are bestowed with a red, white and blue collar trumpeted as a symbol of unparalleled excellence. But the pressure!
The gripping film, which runs from October 8 through 14 at Starz FilmCenter, located in the Tivoli building on the Auraria campus, will have its first screening tonight ― DocNight ― at 7 p.m. Hailed by film critics here and across the pond, Kings of Pastry will be followed by a Q&A session with directors D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (The War Room) and a reception pimping sugar highs from local master baker Keegan Gerhard, who owns D Bar Desserts and studied under Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago and a central figure in the documentary. It’s a really fast-paced, fascinating glimpse into the world of competitive French pastry contests,” says Keith Garcia, programming manager for the Denver Film Society.
To buy tickets for tonight’s screening and reception, $12 to $15, or for showtimes, go to www.denverfilm.org.
Thu., Oct. 7, 7 p.m., 2010
