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City of Gold

An independent studio (Sundance Selects) made documentary about food and culture.  Culture of Los Angeles.  A city that I and the family have come to love.  For a variety of reasons.

Many centered around the plethora of food the expanse offers.  A microcosm of ethnic communities that migrated to make a life for themselves. A true definition of America the beautiful.

In this vast grid of highways and streets lives a food critic.  A native of the city, a former cellist and classically trained music lover, a writer and Pulitzer prize winner called Jonathan Gold.

The documentary is about the reveal of who Gold is.   For a while an anonymous and respected food writer he has a knack for story telling.  This skill is used with a versatility to describe communities in which the food is made and their history.  A lot many local eateries that are inhabited by common folk got reviews that brought them into the limelight and literally made for successful businesses.

His approach is not much of a critic but of a willingness to offer guidance to help a business succeed. After multiple meals at a place that he may not fully understand and yet in appreciating why there are still a lot of people eating the food he helps himself and the audience or readership see a different viewpoint.

'First we eat and then we do everything else' is the quote this movie made by a woman director from the Midwest opens with.

I have been on an indie film watching binge that has yielded some very informative and enjoyable nuggets and this documentary is certainly one worth watching if you are not watching your girth.


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