Peru Knows (Jesus M. Santos, 2012): Peru, Spain

Reviewed by Reyes Munoz. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (2013), The Museum of Modern Art.

Peru Sabe, or Peru Knows in English, is a documentary film about one of the most divers cuisines in the world: Peruvian Cuisine. The films follows many young students who have changed their careers as they have found a new passion for cooking in Peru. Many of these young chefs follow the same trip made by famous chefs Ferran Adriá and Gastón Acurio. As we follow these young students down this path we discover “the social phenomena of Peruvian gastronomy, where cuisine became an amazing asset for social development for the population.” Given Peru’s close proximity to the equator, this gives the country the ability to grow and produce just about any type of crop in the world. As shown in this film, Peru’s markets are filled with colorful crops, plants, fruits, vegetables, grains flowers, etc. It is largely due to its geographical location that has made Peruvian food a world renowned cuisine. “Culture, biodiversity and a mixture of influences have made Peruvian cuisine a hallmark of the country and an international benchmark.”

“Tens of thousands of youngsters, having grown up with the influence of Peruvian cuisine, have decided to study the art of cooking” and this is evident throughout the many interviews conducted by the filmmakers. For example, one of these young chefs was and still is a professional soccer player who claims to have played for a very big team. When asked why he chose to study culinary arts and become a chef he said “I simply found a new passion in the kitchen and fell in love with it right then and there. I liked it so much that I was willing to put my professional career as a soccer player on hold. Playing soccer was my passion growing up but now as an adult I realized that it is a sport full of self and instant gratification. I feel much rewarded and appreciated when I cook and I see people enjoy what I have made.That is why the kitchen is where my passion is.” Furthermore, another young girl found herself quitting beauty school in order to study culinary arts. In this documentary we see chefs Ferran Adrià and Gastón Acurio travel around Peru, places like Cuzco, Iquitos, Lima, Arequipa, the Sierra Central, Piura, Pisco, in order to talk to chefs, and get together with thousands of young people as they explore this recent phenomenon in Peruvian cuisine. After much research, I managed to find the name of the school that is featured in the film, it is called Pachacutec Culinary School. This school is apparently located in the poorest neighborhood in Lima, Peru. Overall, this school has helped many young people from today’s generation better understand the importance and impact the cuisine of Peru has on the rest of the world. I really enjoyed watching this film for the food, the Peruvian scenery, and the way in which Peruvian cuisine is changing the lives of so many, not just in Peru but around the world.