La Cocina

Event information

Adapted from Arnold Wesker’s acclaimed 1957 play, La Cocina features exquisite black-and-white cinematography and a superb ensemble cast, including Rooney Mara and Raúl Briones. Brimming with frenetic energy, La Cocina is a heady cinematic experience and a searing critique of the restaurant industry’s exploitation of the often invisible labour of immigrant workers.

While food orders flood in and pressure mounts to boiling point, the passionate relationship between chef Pedro (Raúl Briones) and waitress Julia (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) is starting to fray. But when missing money and shocking revelations cause things to spiral out of control, it’s not long before one of New York’s busiest kitchens is on the verge of imploding.

Shot in cool black and white, Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios’s depiction of an intense New York restaurant handles the stories of undocumented workers with care.
Featuring an array of outstanding performances led by Briones and Mara, LA COCINA is a gripping, exhilarating and truly cinematic film.

Alonso Ruizpalacios was nominated for the ‘Golden Bear’ for ‘La Cocina' at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival