France, 1885. Talented cook Eugenie (Juliette Binoche, CERTIFIED COPY, CIFF 2010; HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE, CIFF 2020) has worked for the preeminent gourmet Dodin (Benoit Magimel) for the last twenty years. Their mutual admiration turns into a romance and gives rise to exquisite culinary creations, that confound even the world’s most illustrious chefs. But Eugenie is fond of her freedom and has never wanted to marry Dodin, so he decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.

Some 30 years ago, French-Vietnamese director Tràn Anh Hùng burst onto the scene with his debut feature, THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA. Now, with THE POT-AU-FEU, he sets out to film a period romance that celebrates French gastronomy, both as a labour of love and an art form. The result is a movie where the food is as stellar as French actors Binoche and Magimel.