Berkshire Museum’s Film Feast Series
PITTSFIELD – The Berkshire Museum’s Film Feast series will continue on Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m., with a program devoted to Mexico and chocolate. The program will begin with a screening of Like Water for Chocolate (1992, 1 hr. 46 min., R, Spanish with subtitles) at the K-11 Hall at Koussevitzky Art Center at Berkshire Community College. The critically acclaimed film tells a passionate and exotic story of love and food in Mexican village.Following the film, Joshua Needleman, proprietor of Chocolate Springs Café, will explore unusual uses of chocolate in cooking. Tickets to the film and lecture are $15 ($10 for members). Afterwards guests can enjoy a movie-related meal at Pancho’s Restaurant, 156 North Street in Pittsfield. Pancho’s will offer a set $25 three-course dinner, with a choice of dishes, including mole poblano, veggie fajitas and other authentic Mexican specialties. Tickets and reservations are available by phone at 413-443-7171, extension 10.
The program is the second of four Film Feasts presented by the Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema. The series combines foodie films, expert discussion, and related dinner at different Pittsfield restaurants. Tickets to each film and lecture are $15 ($10 for members). Dinner is an optional addition to the program; prices range from $15 to $100 depending on the restaurant. Film Feasts are funded in part by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Based on the novel by Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate is the story of Tita (Lumi Cavazos), who is forbidden by her mother (Regina Torne) from marrying. Spanning several generations, the film combines food and magic, as meals prepared by Tita are affected by her emotions as she cooks, giving dinner guests symptoms of lust or grief. In her New York Times review, Janet Maslin wrote, food and passion create a sublime alchemy in Like Water for Chocolate, a Mexican film whose characters experience life so intensely that they sometimes literally smolder.” The film is directed by Alfonso Arau.
Joshua Needleman’s culinary career started at age 16 at Shuji’s Japanese restaurant. He then graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1994 and progressed to working three years at the Paris-based La Maison du Chocolat in New York City at their Madison Avenue and Rockefeller Center boutiques. Following travels to Paris, Florence, Tokyo, and Kyoto, Needleman returned to his hometown area in the scenic Berkshires to open Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, Massachusetts. Needleman has spoken at Williams College and Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. Chocolate Springs was recognized in the March 2006 issue of SAVEUR magazine as one of their TOP 10, star artisanal chocolate makers in the United States.
Pancho’s Restaurant offers traditional Mexican food. For the Film Feast, Pancho’s has created a three-course menu focusing on mole poblano, the thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce made famous in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Appetizer selections will include tamales, chicken sopes (corn patties topped with beans, lettuce, Mexican cheese, and salsa), house salad, or rebosos con mole (corn tortilla filled with plantain and topped with mole poblano and sesame seeds). Diners may choose from one of five entrees: mole poblano (grilled chicken breast topped with homemade mole sauce and sesame seeds); carne asada plate (charbroiled steak); pescado al mojo de ajo (fish filet with garlic and tequila sauce); pescado a la Mexicana (fish cooked in Mexican spicy sauce); or veggie fajitas. Dessert choices will be Bailey’s cheesecake, flan, or churros with ice cream. The prix-fixe dinner is $25 per person, and includes choice of soft drink. Beer and wine (not included) are also available.
The Film Feasts will return to the Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street in Pittsfield, in April. On Sunday, April 13, at 3 p.m., the Film Feast will feature the acclaimed wine country comedy Sideways (2004, 2 hr., 7 min., R) starring Paul Giamatti, and a discussion of Pinot Noir wine with Patrick Spencer, chef/owner of Brix Bistro and Wine Bar. Following the April 13 film and talk, Brix will offer a special wine dinner featuring Pinot Noirs from around the world for $100. The final Film Feast will be Sunday, May 4, at 3 p.m. The classic Brazilian film Black Orpheus (1959, 1 hr. 47 minutes, not rated, Portuguese with subtitles) will be followed by a hands-on samba drumming workshop lead by Jim Weber, director of the Berkshire Bateria Escola de Samba. The Bateria will perform during dinner at the Brazilian Restaurant and Pub. Cost for the May 4 dinner buffet is $15.
The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street on Route 7 in Downtown Pittsfield. It is closed for construction and will reopen March 29, 2008. The Berkshire Museum’s Little Cinema, which begins its 59th season in May, presents first-run foreign and independent film nightly in downtown Pittsfield. For more information, contact the Berkshire Museum at (413) 443-7171, ext. 10, or visit www.berkshiremuseum.org
