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A fine-Line is a US film illuminating the issue of gender inequality in the restaurant industry where female chefs and restaurant owners remain a minority.
Director Joanna James was inspired to make the film after discovering that less than 7% of head chefs and restaurant owners are women when traditionally women have always held the central role in the kitchen. She sets out to find out why.
By giving a platform to some of the US's leading chefs to tell their story, James allows their individual stories to be heard, from their struggles to their tenacity, ambition and victories.
Three Michelin starred Dominique Crenn from Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, Mashama Bailey from The Grey and two Michelin-starred Chef April Bloomfield are just a few of the women who share their stories to the top, whether its been juggling the demands of the job, children or simply taken seriously by the "boy's club."
The film also gives context by following the up close and personal story of Valerie James, an upbeat small-town restaurateur and single mother who refused to give up on her mission to do the job she loves.
Funding and harassment are highlighted as two of the biggest issues facing women in the industry. A lack of childcare, equal pay, time off and comprehensive family leave are also given as contributors to female chefs being forced to choose between having a family or climbing the professional ladder in the kitchen.
Despite women being over half of the graduates from culinary schools in the US, only 6% of chefs and restaurant owners are women. What's happening on the greasy pole to the top that means the majority of the women will never make it? This film gives great visibility to some of the hurdles and how the industry needs to change to offer better gender equality at the top.
Here's the trailer.
Click here to join the ongoing screening tour in the US.
To watch also: The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution: a feature-length documentary highlighting the work of the female chefs running some of the world's best kitchens.
