ALONSO RUIZPALACIOS | MEXICO, USA | 2024 | 138 MIN | ENGLISH, SPANISH
Comedy, chaos, and cooking set the tone of this stylish black-and-white restaurant drama, which follows a diverse band of kitchen staff as they push through the pressure of the lunch hour while grappling with the weight of their personal lives. At its heart is Pedro (Raúl Briones), an undocumented cook with aspirations extending far beyond the kitchen walls. Pedro is limited by his immigration status and a rocky romance with Julia (Rooney Mara), an American waitress struggling with a new development that could alter their lives if they don’t move fast. Money from the previous evening has gone missing, breeding a suspicious atmosphere and fueling already simmering tensions that keep everyone in the kitchen on edge. As the day rushes forward, the heat in this environment begins to reach a boiling point. Filled with propulsive filmmaking, evoking chaotic masterpieces like Birdman and Punch-Drunk Love, La Cocina is the story of marginalized workers dicing through rugged conditions to get their hands on some version of the American Dream.
Cast: Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, Anna Diaz, Motell Foster
All sales are final. Admission is not guaranteed after scheduled start time.
Click HERE for more information about the 33rd Philadelphia Film Festival