(Based on the BIFA nominated short film by Philip Barantini and James Cummings)

The film continues Philip’s interest in authentically exploring mental health in an effort to bring issues into the public discourse. Boiling Point is focussed
on the struggle that workers are known to face in the restaurant industry, and how drugs and alcohol abuse have become a part of kitchen life for many who work there.

Set in and around a restaurant during a single evening, and an ensemble film that follows and expands upon many of the characters seen in the 2019 short. Taking inspiration from Alejandro González Iñárritu’s flmography – from Babel (2006) and Amores Perros (2000) for their use of interconnected character stories, and the single-shot style of Birdman (2014) – it grounds itself in the realist, hand-held aesthetic of Paul Greengrass’ work, as seen in flms like United 93 (2006) and Captain Philips (2013).

This film’s driving thesis is its exploration of mental health and addiction in the hospitality industry; Boiling Point aims to shine a light on the real and devastating struggles workers face in restaurants. Centred around the head chef (as portrayed by Stephen Graham) and the incredible pressures he faces from both the kitchen and his own addictions, we follow this small slice of his life as he tries and ultimately fails to hold it all together. Throughout the film, we wander into the stories of other characters in the restaurant, where we get a sense of how the kitchen life is affecting them. All of the characters united by the location, have individual struggles that allow us to explore different aspects of our theme, and how it changes with gender, age, and role. Despite these departures, we continually come back to the head chef as his state of mind and health slowly unravels.

Boiling Point is in post-production to be released later this year!

Boiling Point was adapted from the short film of the same name — after the noticeable success, it was then developed into a feature film. If you’re interested in seeing how it all came together, you can watch the short here