Berlinale 74: 'La Cocina' uses a restaurant kitchen to critique society

At the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, director Alonso Ruizpalacios presents 'La Cocina', a black-and-white film shot in 4:3 aspect ratio that subverts the cooking genre. Set in a New York restaurant chain, the film follows Pedro (Raúl Briones), an illegal Mexican cook, and Julia (Rooney Mara), a troubled American waitress, exploring themes of love, racism, colonialism, exploitation, and class struggle. The film is based on Arnold Wesker's play, which Ruizpalacios read while working as a dishwasher. The ensemble cast includes actors of Mexican, Italian, Indian, Arab, and African backgrounds, all playing undocumented immigrants. The film's musical-like direction harmonizes multilingual dialogues and choreographed movements within the square frame. A cult scene features a multi-voice monologue of curses in native languages. Ruizpalacios, who previously worked as a dishwasher, turns his own experience into fiction, blurring the line between dream and nightmare.