La Cocina
Singapore Premiere
Alonso Ruizpalacios Mexico, USA 2024 139 min M18 (Nudity and Coarse Language)
Tempers flare during lunchtime service at The Grill. While the kitchen heats up, questions arise when money goes missing from the register.
In the heart of bustling New York is The Grill. Estela, a fourteen-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, finds work there through family friend and chef Pedro. Over the course of the lunchtime rush, Estela finds herself acquainted with her fellow undocumented immigrant coworkers seeking a better life. Pedro, though, is more focused on his girlfriend, an American waitress, and the big decision they need to make together.
Based on Arnold Wesker’s 1957 play, The Kitchen, Ruizpalacios examines inequalities in the kitchen, from workers’ rights and visa precarity to social hierarchies. But even amid the frenetic noise and chaos, the film is interspersed with moments of lightness and quiet, allowing us to reflect on the nuances of each character’s humanity.
This screening is supported by the U.S. Embassy Singapore
1 Dec, Sun 11:00AM / 139 min
Golden Village Cineleisure, Hall 1
AT THE FEST!
All screenings are on a free seating, first-come, first-served basis. We kindly ask all ticket holders to arrive on time to be guaranteed entry.
RUSH QUEUE:
For last-minute attendees, good news. Our Rush Queue is back this year!
La Cocina
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Mexico, USA
2024
English, Spanish
English
139 min
M18 (Nudity and Coarse Language)
Singapore Premiere
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Alonso Ruizpalacios is an award-winning Mexican writer-director who works across film, theatre and television. Güeros (2014) bagged the Best First Feature Award at the Berlinale, while Museum (2018) received the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the same festival. A Cop Movie (2021) and La Cocina also premiered at the Berlinale.
Ramiro Ruiz,
Gerardo Gatica González,
Ivan Orlic,
Lauren Mann,
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Raúl Briones,
Rooney Mara,
Anna Díaz
