Happy Dox

Pressure Cooker

Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker

Fighting to overcome the challenges of broken homes, abusive pasts, and financial burdens, three inner-city seniors at Philadelphia’s Frankford High School find an unlikely champion in the kitchen of Wilma Stephenson. A legend in the school system, Mrs. Stephenson is a force to be reckoned with, and her boot camp method of teaching 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 focus on preparing for a citywide cooking competition for scholarships to some of the country’s top culinary arts institutions.

Jennifergrausman_artandcraft

Jennifer Grausman

Former Manager of Exhibition and Film Funding at the Museum of Modern Art, Jennifer Grausman directed and produced the Emmy-nominated documentary, Pressure Cooker (2008).

Mark_becker_

Mark Becker

Mark Becker is an editor, producer and director. His short Jules at Eight (1996) won an IDA Student Documentary Awards special jury prize. His feature debut Romántico (2005) was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards. He directed Pressure Cooker (2008) with Jennifer Grausman.

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Pressure Cooker

USA
2008, 89', color, video

Directed by:
Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker

Cinematography:
Leigh Iacobucci, Mark Becker, Justin Schein

Edited by:
Mark Becker

Music:
Donald Newkirk, Prince Paul

Producer:
Jennifer Grausman

Produced by:
Non Sequitur Productions