‘Coldwater Kitchen’ gets two free screenings in Detroit

Local audiences have another chance to see the film “Coldwater Kitchen” with two free screenings at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the Bel Air Luxury Cinema in Detroit. The film was co-directed by Free Press executive video producer Brian Kaufman and former Free Press restaurant critic Mark Kurlyandchik and had its Michigan premiere at Freep Film Festival in April.

The documentary, produced by the Free Press, takes viewers into the culinary training program at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Michichigan. There, students learn the culinary skills needed to succeed in fine dining restaurant kitchens, from making the French mother sauces to understanding the art of pouring and discussing wine. The film follows Chef Jimmy Lee Hill and three of his students, as they navigate challenges in prison and work to rebuild their lives after incarceration. The film won the James Beard Foundation media award for best documentary earlier this year.

Chef Jimmy Lee Hill (left) talks with Bradley Leonard about the hardships of incarceration while sitting in the garden at Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater, Mich. Chef Hill runs a highly regarded culinary training program that gives incarcerated men new skills and new hope. The program, Chef Hill and Bradley Leonard are part of the feature-length documentary film Coldwater Kitchen, produced by the Detroit Free Press.
Photo Credit: Brian Kaufman

Members of the film team along with cast members, Chef Jimmy Lee Hill and Chef Dink Dawson, will be in attendance for an after-film Q&A. Tickets are capped at four per person. All ticket holders get one free popcorn. This event is being co-presented by ACLU of Michigan, Detroit Future City and Freep Film Festival.