Cook With the Book

River of Gold

March 2016 •English

Narrated by Academy Award winners Sissy Spacek and Herbie Hancock, River of Gold is the disturbing account of a clandestine journey into Peru's Amazon rainforest to uncover the savage unraveling of pristine jungle. What will be the fate of this critical region of priceless biodiversity as these extraordinarily beautiful forests are turned into a hellish wasteland?

Salsa

August 1976 •English

The Fania All Stars perform for 44,000 fans at Yankee stadium in New York. Besides concert footage, there's also included a history of Salsa, and vintage film clips of Hollywood's portrayal of Latinos in movies during the 1930's and 40's.

Gordon Ramsay: Shark Bait

August 2011 •English

In this one-hour special, Gordon investigates the history, culture and controversy surrounding the shark fishing industry. Each year, nearly 100 million sharks worldwide are killed for use of their fins in the traditional Chinese delicacy, driving a third of the world's shark species towards extinction. Gordon also goes diving in an attempt to gain a full understanding of the majestic animal.

Clarissa & the King's Cookbook

March 2008 •English

Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook, The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by the king's master chefs. How did this ancient manuscript influence the way people eat today? On her culinary journey through medieval history she reawakens recipes that have lain dormant for centuries and discovers dishes that are still prepared now.

She Chef

May 2023 •German

We’re travelling from luxury kitchen to luxury kitchen with Agnes, from Bergisch Gladbach via Barcelona to the Faroe Islands. The cook’s luggage always includes her backpack containing various knives, cleavers and tweezers. The camera watches over the inquisitive young woman’s shoulder as delicacies are being prepared. Our mouths water. At the same time, we get insights into the different ways of running a restaurant. It’s about team spirit and equality at the stove.

Ein Traum von Revolution

April 2024 •German

When the revolution in Nicaragua won its victory nearly 40 years ago, the world began to dream. A young generation was taking the reins in a country of grand utopias. From West Germany alone, 15,000 “brigadists” travelled to help rebuild the war-torn country: liberals, greens, unionists, social democrats, leftists and church representatives harvested coffee and cotton, built schools, kindergartens and hospital wards. No movement has mobilised so many people. What became of the hopes and dreams of the revolutionaries and their supporters?

Julia

November 2021 •English

Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, mouth-watering food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child's surprising path, from her struggles to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, to her empowering story of a woman who found fame in her 50s, and her calling as an unlikely television sensation.

The Cooking Show

February 2021 •English

The cooking show is as old as television itself. But why do we like watching the making of a meal that most of us will never cook, let alone eat? Dirty Furniture’s jam-packed video essay is a rollercoaster ride through the history of the genre, at once a staple of television viewing and a hotpot of shifting perspectives and sociocultural values.

Léa & I

August 2019 •English

Best friends travel though Latin America meeting shamans, experimenting with plant medicines, and wondering about what makes a life well-lived when one of them might have half the time to live it.

Ostrovy milionů ptáků

January 1952 •Czech

Corporate Accountability

February 2020 •Spanish

Images of Argentinian companies and factories in the first light of day, seen from the inside of a car, while the director reads out documents in voiceover that reveals the collusion of the same concerns in the military dictatorship’s terror.

La Charada Teatro - Puppeteers in Guatemala

June 2020 •Spanish

A joyous Guatemalan film about the magic and charm of puppetry. This documentary follows the charismatic artists as they make their puppets and perform. Both humorous and socially aware, their themes are drawn from classic stories, local legends and history.

Chemistry in the Kitchen

January 1957 •Czech

The kitchen is an alchemist’s workshop, and the chef is a master of secret teachings. He commands molecules to bubble, boil, rise, change their state, shape, and colour. This educational film shows that cooking an egg or letting dough rise can be a fascinating chemical and physical process, and that our body is a small laboratory, with its own test tubes, gauges, and instruments.

Eating Well for Optimum Health

July 2000 •English

Andrew Weil, M.D., program director of integrated medicine at the University of Arizona, teaches doctors and the public about nutrition, In this video, he describes good eating habits, nutritional health, and cooking. He also shares some cross-cultural perspectives on these fundamental topics.

1964: 40 Years After

January 2004 •Portuguese

Documentary that shows the events that culminated in the deposition of President João Goulart, on March 31, 1964, and the implementation of the military dictatorship in Brazil. Around 40 characters reveal behind the scenes and comment in detail on this important moment in Brazilian political history.

Cuisine indienne : À toutes les sauces !

January 2023 •French

Mary Berry's Festive Feasts

December 2021 •English

Dame Merry Berry knows a thing or two about cooking up a festive feast, and this year she is sharing her cooking skills with three novice cooks, cousins James, Jack and Leah, who want to throw a spectacular surprise feast for their respective mums and bring together their whole family for the first time in two years.

Finding Gastón

March 2014 •Spanish

There are many great chefs around the world. Only one is considered to be a National hero. Meet chef Gaston Acurio and follow him in a journey to find out the stories, the inspirations and the dreams behind the man that has taken his cuisine outside the kitchen in a mission to change his country with food. Let this journey take you into the world of Peruvian cuisine to discover the power of food in Peru. Because the people that are passionate enough to believe they can make a difference are actually the ones who do.

Mrs. Mortimer Jones Prepares "Dinner for Eight"

January 1934 •English

Promotional film for Southern California Edison. We see a housewife in a tastefully colour-coordinated kitchen equipped with the latest electrical appliances as she prepares dinner for her husband and his business associates. While the dishwasher takes care of the dirty dishes, she bakes a cake and puts a roast in the oven. As it cooks, she’s off to the theatre… Mrs. Mortimer Jones promotes not only Edison, but also Natalie Kalmus’ subtle sense of colour and the “home cooking” principle of the Technicolor franchise.

Jesa

October 2019 •English

Jesa is a Korean tradition honoring one's ancestors. The filmmaker interviewed her parents about this ritual. However, it goes totally unexpected.