Pressure Cooker
Jul 10 - Jul 16, 2009
(Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker, USA, 35mm, 99 min)
Seattle Premiere
This inspirational film tells the story of a committed teacher who becomes the champion of a group of talented kids fighting to overcome the challenges of broken homes and financial burdens. Three seniors from Philadelphia's Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in Wilma Stephenson, cooking instructor. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson is a force to be reckoned with, and her boot camp method of teaching the culinary arts is not for the faint of heart. Under her fierce direction, the usual distractions of high school - the cheerleading practices, football games, and school dances - are swept aside as the students prepare for a citywide cooking competition to win scholarships to some of the country's top culinary arts institutions. In this documentary, filmmakers Jennifer Grausman and Mark Becker capture an inspirational journey of self-discovery as the students, with the hard-won support of Stephenson, dare to chase after their dreams and reach for opportunities they had never imagined.
Recommended for ages 10 and up. There are a few instances of swearing and emotionally difficult scenes in the film.
"A heart-grabbing, awe-inspiring work that needs no embellishment." -Philadelphia Inquirer
"Pressure Cooker belongs to the honorable genre of inspirational films dedicated to the proposition that one passionate teacher can make a difference in the lives of students." -NY Times
Watch the trailer: