When a plate of food is put in front of you, what do you experience? Does the presentation get you excited to tuck into the meal? Does the aroma open a floodgate of nostalgic memories? Do the flavours soothe your soul with every bite? Beyond the Plate with Bertus Basson considers the minds and hands that make the food we eat, and what it means for food to be an artistic extension of a person’s lived experiences.
Bertus Basson, a decorated chef at the forefront of South Africa’s culinary scene, traces the personal histories and cultures that inform the plates of food he creates. By walking the viewer through his childhood, his uniquely South African perspective, and the ethos of each of his restaurants, Basson’s singular culinary vision becomes clear. If his plates are profoundly personal, the experience is certainly universal.
In this documentary we engage with a master of the craft to consider what food represents beyond the plate.
The team that produced Beyond the Plate with Bertus Basson: Lara van Zyl, Erin Walls, Giuseppe Rajkumar Guerandi, Maryam Adams.