Cooking history

A documentary about army cooks, or about how the daily needs of thousands of armed stomachs influenced the victories and defeats of leading statesmen.

Stream/download

Dafilms

Apple TV

Original title: Ako sa varia dejiny
Other titles: Guláságyú /hu/, Kuhanje povijesti /hr/, Kucharze historii /pl/
Genre: Documentary
Length: 88 minutes
Copyright: 2009
Production countries: Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic
World sales: kerekesfilm
Distribution: Peter Kerekes s.r.o. (SK), Aerofilms (CZ) a Poool Filmverleih (AT)
Release: February, 2009

Synopsis

Cooking History is a documentary by Peter Kerekes that delves into the pivotal role of military cooks in shaping the outcomes of 20th-century European conflicts. Through eleven recipes spanning from World War II to the Chechen War, the film presents personal narratives of army cooks from various nations. It highlights how the act of feeding troops transcends mere sustenance, becoming a strategic element in warfare. By intertwining culinary practices with historical events, the documentary offers a unique perspective on how food preparation influences the course of wars.

Credits

Director: Peter Kerekes
Story: Peter Kerekes
DOP: Martin Kollár
Editor: Marek Šulík
Sound: Daniel Němec
Music: Marek Piaček
Production: Peter Kerekes s.r.o. (SK), Mischief – Films (AT), Negativ (CZ)
Producer: Georg Misch, Ralph Wieser, Peter Kerekes, Pavel Strnad
Cast: Vassily Nikolaevich Logunov
Franz Weinhart
Klavdia Matveevna Lobanova
Heinz Rüdiger
Erich Sterlike
Liepke Distel
Peter Merx
Bérkés Mihaly
Peter Silbernagel
Jacques Besson
René Bianchi
Miska BecsiLjudmila Kornevova
Judit Bartaszegi
Branko Trbovic
Mladen Vlahynja
Branka Mudrenic
Eddie Clothier
Ankica Pavlovic
Velija Katica
Tomo Kinkela
Predrag Kulic
Buca Stankovic
Zlatko
Zoran

Support

Ministerstvo kultúry Slovenskej republiky, Česká televize, ORF (Film/Fernseh-Abkommen), Österreichisches Filminstitut, Filmfonds Wien, Slovenská Televízia

World premiere

Visions du Réel – International Documentary Film Festival, Nyon, Switzerland, April 2009
release February, 2009

Festivals

Nominees

European Film Awards 2009 – Nomination for Best Documentary (Prix Arte)
International Documentary Film Festival of Navarra Punto de Vista 2010 – Nominee Punto de Vista Grand Prize (Peter Kerekes)
Les Arcs European Film Festival 2009 – Nominee Crystal Arrow (Peter Kerekes)
Sun in a Net Awards, Slovakia 2010 (Slnko v sieti): Best Editing (Marek Šulík) | Best Cinematography (Martin Kollár) | Best Music (Marek Piaček) | Best Documentary Feature (Peter Kerekes)

Awards

Hot Docs 2009 (Canada) – Special Jury Prize (International Feature)
DOK Leipzig 2009 (Germany) – FIPRESCI Jury Award
Viennale 2009 (Austria) – Vienna Film Prize (Special Mention)
Chicago International Film Festival 2009 (USA) – Golden Hugo for Best Documentary
Memorimage Film Festival 2009 (Spain) – Best Production Award
Sofia International Film Festival 2010 (Bulgaria) – Best Documentary
Best Feature Documentary – Slow Motion Food Film Festival (now The Food Film Fest) 2011

Media

REVERSESHOT

“Viewers of Slovak filmmaker Péter Kerekes’s rather banally titled documentary may be pleasantly surprised to find not an orderly history of cooking, moving methodically, dish by dish, from past to present, but rather an attempt to actually cook history via cinematic slicing, dicing, stirring, and simmering.” Jeff Reichert, Reverse Shot“
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STARKINSIDER

“Mash-up Food Network with The History Channel and you’d have an intriguing documentary called Cooking History. Chances are, you’ve never seen anything quite like it.” Clinton Stark, StarkInsider“
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CINEMAVIEW

„Cooking History is truly a delicacy — a proper cinematic goulash full of flavors!“ Jana Cvancingerová, Cinemaview“
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