Chez Schwartz screening and Save the Deli afterparty
To the Toronto faithful:
This Thursday night at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, there is a screening of Chez Schwartz, a film by director Garry Beitel (my former prof at McGill), looking into the temple of smoked meat that is Schwartz’s in Montreal. Yes, you can start salivating!
Tickets are tight, but there will be a rush line, and I hear that cutters from Schwartz’s will be there slicing sandwiches for those waiting to get into the movie.
After the film (approx 7:30 PM), Save the Deli fans will convene at Moe Pancer’s Deli, for a discussion of the movie, and naturally a good amount of nosh. We’d fly to Schwartz’s if we could, but this webbernet gig just doesn’t pay like it should.
For a year, Beitel and his crew embedded themselves in Schwartz’s, capturing the essense of life inside the cramped deli that many consider the best in the world. Save the Deli fans, this is the film you were born to see!
Have a look at the preview.
Click here to check out the film’s fantastic website, full of Schwartz’s info, plus a great blog.
Here’s the director’s intro to the film:
“Chez Schwartz takes us inside a year in the life of Schwartz’s Deli – the unique 75-year-old landmark on Montreal’s historic Main. Filmed through changing seasons, from the quiet of early morning preparation to the frenetic bustle of packed lunch times and never ending line-ups, to the more relaxed ambience late at night – Chez Schwartz is an evocative, cinematic portrait of a small spunky deli known worldwide equally for its atmosphere and smoked meat.
Through observational vignettes, we come to know the men of Schwartz’s – Frank, Johnny, Alex and others: the waiters and busboys, meat cutters and grill men who have become fixtures of the deli – some for as long as 40 years. Most are immigrants from Portugal, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia. While they serve generously stacked sandwiches, fries, pickles and cherry colas to an array of local and international patrons, we discover how a legendary institution transforms their lives. As we get to know their stories, we also meet another group of men – Ryan, Herman, and Adrian: the panhandlers who have stationed themselves at the front entrance for the past 15 years and earn their livelihood from the deli’s patrons.
As these stories interweave, we become immersed in the restaurant’s culture and daily rituals. Lush and sensual cinematography follows the daily preparation and consumption of spiced smoked meat and condiments. Our camera moves between privileged revelations of character and simple gastronomy as we capture the magic of a classic ‘hole in the wall’ packed with atmosphere and dynamism.”
I can’t wait!!!
DS
