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My name is Gary Zidek. Welcome to The Arts Section. Tune into the radio program every Sunday morning on WDCB 90.9 & 90.7 FM or listen to it online here. I'll be showcasing a variety of arts & entertainment stories.

New Documentary Brings Together Different Ingredients of Chef Charlie Trotter's Life

New Documentary Brings Together Different Ingredients of Chef Charlie Trotter's Life

WDCB’s Gary Zidek talks to filmmaker Rebecca Halpern about her new documentary LOVE, CHARLIE: THE RISE & FALL OF CHEF CHARLIE TROTTER.

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“I think that Charlie Trotter’s life story is kind of a cautionary tale for anyone who has to throw themselves into their work a million-percent in order to achieve a level of excellence that’s almost unreachable. And I think Charlie’s identity became so intrinsically connected to his work, that when the restaurant closed, he did (as well) in some respects.” - LOVE, CHARLIE director Rebecca Halpern talking about Charlie Trotter’s rabid pursuit of excellence.

Director Rebecca Halpern

One of Chicago’s most well-known culinary figures is the subject of a new documentary that’s making its world premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival. Lots of adjectives have been used to describe the late Charlie Trotter. The chef was a trailblazer, who pioneered several culinary concepts that are now commonplace in some of the world’s finest kitchens. He helped put Chicago’s restaurant scene on the map, creating the roots for a thriving tree of chefs that run many of the city’s most respected establishments. But Trotter is also often remembered as a temperamental and sometimes petty figure who was difficult to work with and for. Trotter passed away in 2013, a year after he closed his acclaimed restaurant Charlie Trotter’s. He was 54.

Chicago-area native and now L.A.-based filmmaker Rebecca Halpern wanted to focus on the man more than the mythology in her documentary, LOVE, CHARLIE. The film offers a nuanced look at a talented chef who described himself as enigmatic.

A younger Charlie Trotter in the kitchen.

LOVE, CHARLIE: THE RISE AND FALL OF CHEF CHARLIE TROTTER is making its world premiere at the 57th Chicago International Film Festival. The first screening sold out, but there is another screening on Friday October 22. And the film will be available to stream through the festival starting October 19. You can find more info at chicagofilmfestival.com/film/love-charlie

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