Cinema Cocina explores the gastronomy of Baja California in the feature film 'Surgencia'
The Festival de Málaga's gastronomic cycle celebrates its fourth day with a documentary on the link between land, wine and cuisine in Mexico.
On the fourth day of Cinema Cocina, Tuesday 18th March, the Festival de Málaga’s section dedicated to gastronomic cinema featured the screening of 'Surgencia', the feature-length documentary by Alejandro Montalvo that follows the journey of winemaker Hugo D'Acosta and chef Benito Molina through the Baja California peninsula in northwest Mexico. The film highlights the gastronomic and oenological richness of this region of contrasts.
From the vineyards of the Guadalupe Valley to the oases of San Ignacio, 'Surgencia' is a tribute to a unique territory and to main characters who have transformed its culinary culture. In the words of Álvaro Muñoz, director of Lumen Proyectos Gastronómicos, "it is a project of territory, of two friends who decide to embark on a journey across the state".
After the screening, the audience at the Echegaray Theatre took part in a colloquium moderated by Muñoz, with the participation of the film's director, Alejandro Montalvo; the main winegrower, Hugo D'Acosta; the producer, Daniela D'Acosta, and the chef Reyna Traverso.
The team, which has travelled from California, admitted to being very nervous, because as Montalvo said: "This is the first time the documentary has left the region and the country, and we are very excited”.
Hugo D'Acosta took charge of explaining the reason for the title: "Surgencia is an oceanographic term that explains the movement of deep water towards the surface. We thought it was the perfect name because Baja California has the ingredients and richness of the sea thanks to an upwelling and deep currents”.
About the project, producer Daniela D'Acosta said that "it was an intense shoot because Baja California is beautiful, but also very hard". The director also explained that "Hugo and Benito are super contradictory". One likes to get up early and go to bed early, and the other has a completely opposite schedule, which forced the team to film all day.
Reyna Traverso, chef of the Mexican restaurant Niña Bonita in Soho, also took part in the colloquium and joined the event to talk about Mexican gastronomy and her experience living and training in Tijuana.
As on each day, during the colloquium the audience could enjoy a tasting inspired by the film, which in this session consisted of a Victoria Diez beer and a corn toast with an avocado, lime and coriander sauce, Victorian anchovies and a rocket and cherry tomato salad, a creation by Reyna Traverso.
The Cinema Cocina cycle will continue on Wednesday 19th with the screening of 'Lluc, una crónica de una pastelería' by Jordi Torra.
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