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KIDLAT ENTERTAINTMENT
The chefs at Lasa in Los Angeles, featured in 'Ulam,' have received rave reviews from food critics and the public. |
THREE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS that start with "F" -- films, food and Filipinos -- combine at the world premiere of Ulam: Main Dish, a documentary by Filipino/American filmmakers about the cuisine that is making its belated mark in the culinary world.
I can barely contain my excitement.
Ulam: Main Dish, a documentary about Filipino food, will have its world premiere April 7 as part of the San Francisco International Film Festival, which begins April 4 and run throughl April 17.
“'Ulam' means main dish in Tagalog," explains director Alexandra Cuerdo. "This film truly strives to examine the 'main dish' — not only by highlighting the hallmarks of modern Filipino cuisine, but also by telling the stories of those that create it. Through pioneering Filipino-American chefs and restaurateurs, we discuss the issues inherent in the Fil-Am crossover; also, we celebrate the newfound success of the thriving culinary community that is the Filipino food movement."
Food is so central to Filipino and Filipino/American culture. When someone enters a Filipino home, instead of the expected greeting of "How are you?" the question is more likely, "Have you eaten?"
Television celebrities Andrew Zimmerman and Anthony Bourdain have predicted Filipino cuisine as "the next big thing," for several years. But it wasn't until Filipino chefs began opening up their own restaurants in the last few years so that foodies have become familiar with the Filipino food palate of sweet, sour, salty, savory that dishes of adobo, singang, kare kare and that exotic purple ube ice cream that made fans of the foodies, gastronomical adventurers and culinary critics.
The fact that Filipino cuisine is (at long last) having a moment in America's food consciousness -- is a metaphor for the Filipino/American search for identity and a place in the American cultural milieu.
"Ultimately, we strive to document personal stories, which inform the way we think about food in the context of our own lives," says Cuerdo.
"In Ulam, our subjects and our food are vehicles for further discussion. Food is our history, and the history of the Filipino people is complex. Filipino food and its ability to succeed is also a window into our future — and we must discuss what divides us, to find what unites us. If we are to celebrate Filipino food, and be respected as a people, we must dig deep into what makes us, and examine the future we want to create."
(Ulam: Main Dish will be presented by the SF International Film Festival 4:30 p.m. April 7 at Dolby Cinema, 1275 Market St.; 4:30 p.m. April 8 and 3:30 p.m. April 10 at Children's Creativity Museum, 221 Fourth St.)
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The film centers on the honest struggle for authenticity and respect for a cuisine often marginalized by the food world. Deploying rousing interviews with owners, restaurateurs, top chefs, as well as mouth-watering dishes placed front and center, California filmmaker Cuerdo follows the heartaches and triumphs of contemporary Filipino/American chefs who seek a place for their culture at the dinner table, one dish at a time.
Rene and Alexandra Cuerdo, producers of the documentary, are father and daughter. "My dad and I have a really interesting relationship. He's not just my dad — for my whole life, he's been a career mentor," said Alexandra. "We often talk about film, ideas and projects we’re working on.
"One day, he mentioned an idea that he and his college friend, Paul, had discussed: what about doing a Filipino food documentary? For various reasons, it never got off the ground. But that idea stuck with me. I have always wanted to tell stories that reflect my identity, and being Filipino/American is a huge part of that."
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KIDLAT ENTERNTAINMENT
'Ulam/ coproducers, Rey and Alexandra Cuerdo, right. |
Television celebrities Andrew Zimmerman and Anthony Bourdain have predicted Filipino cuisine as "the next big thing," for several years. But it wasn't until Filipino chefs began opening up their own restaurants in the last few years so that foodies have become familiar with the Filipino food palate of sweet, sour, salty, savory that dishes of adobo, singang, kare kare and that exotic purple ube ice cream that made fans of the foodies, gastronomical adventurers and culinary critics.
"Ultimately, we strive to document personal stories, which inform the way we think about food in the context of our own lives," says Cuerdo.
"In Ulam, our subjects and our food are vehicles for further discussion. Food is our history, and the history of the Filipino people is complex. Filipino food and its ability to succeed is also a window into our future — and we must discuss what divides us, to find what unites us. If we are to celebrate Filipino food, and be respected as a people, we must dig deep into what makes us, and examine the future we want to create."
(Ulam: Main Dish will be presented by the SF International Film Festival 4:30 p.m. April 7 at Dolby Cinema, 1275 Market St.; 4:30 p.m. April 8 and 3:30 p.m. April 10 at Children's Creativity Museum, 221 Fourth St.)
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