SYNOPSIS
In the heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the back-of-house staff each chase the elusive American dream. When money goes missing from the till, the spotlight falls on Pedro (Briones), a passionate dreamer entangled in a tumultuous love affair with Julia (Mara), a waitress grappling with her own commitments. As tensions rise and shocking revelations unfold, the relentless pace of the kitchen threatens to shatter the hopes and aspirations of those who keep it running. It's a high-stakes drama that explores the intersection of the personal ambition and systemic exploitation of undocumented immigrant workers within the pressure-cooker environment of a Times Square New York restaurant.
Based on the play “The Kitchen” by Arnold Wesker
STARRING: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Diaz, Motell Foster, Oded Fehr, Eduardo Olmos
RUNTIME: 2 hours 19 minutes
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
You are inside the kitchen. Look at your fingernails. Touch your nose. Begin. You are inside. You are in the stage wings. Underwater. On the other side of the river. From here you can see the faces of the workers with no makeup. You can see the baking soda reviving the sauce gone bad for many days now, the sweat that drips into the lukewarm pot of soup. From here you can see the underpants, the dirty rags, the broken china, the carcasses inside the freezer, the monster under the bed, the tumor growing quietly, unheeded, in the brain.
You are inside the kitchen. You might get wet. Your head might throb from the ceaseless roar of stainless steel. You might miss those you left behind. You might not have time to get to know anybody. You may not get to understand much of anything. You may not have time to dream.
Maybe, you only need to get through to the end of the shift; to your off-day; to the End Credits. Maybe you will only witness half the truth. Your judgement may be partial. Maybe none of it will matter. And maybe – just maybe – you will find a friend.
Bienvenido a La Cocina.
DIRECTOR: Alonso Ruizpalacios
SCREENPLAY: Alonso Ruizpalacios
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Juan Pablo Ramírez
EDITOR: Yibrán Asuad
MUSIC: Tomás Barreiro
PRODUCERS: Ramiro Ruiz, Gerardo Gatica, Alonso Ruizpalacios, Lauren Mann, Ivan Orlic
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Marco Polo Constandse, Alexis Garcia, Cristina Garza, Jose Nacif, William Olsson, Patrick Pfupajena, Fifth Season, Elizabeth Woodward,
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Alonso Ruizpalacios is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London. His first feature GÜEROS (2013), won over 40 prizes in festivals around the world, including Best First Feature at the Berlinale 2013. MUSEO (2018), his second feature, won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the Berlinale 2018 and Best Director in Athens and Morelia. His third film, A COP MOVIE (2021) won the Golden Ariel for Best Documentary.