Will-I-Be Project

Mr. Chow: Preparations

A Hypnotic Short from Norbert Schoerner Celebrates the Relaunch of London’s Legendary Canteen to the Stars

“Food and romance go hand in hand, or mouth in mouth,” says lauded German photographer and filmmaker Norbert Schoerner of his latest short, an avant-garde ode to the art of noodle-making at London’s famed Mr. Chow restaurant. “They both release endorphins,” notes the director. “And it’s tough to decide what’s stronger.” The work celebrates the reopening of the Chinese dining institution, on the 45th anniversary of its original launch on Valentine’s Day, 1968. Since then, the home away from home of Beijing cuisine has become a veritable phenomenon, recognized internationally for its authentic hand-pulled noodles, made nightly in front of restaurant guests by experts who have been honing their expertise for decades. Casting model Caroline Ford for scenes shot at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel and spliced into footage of Mr. Chow’s noodle maestros, Schoerner taps into an unspoken visual language of desire and culinary craft. According to the lensman—a veteran of the pages of Vogue and The Face who has exhibited internationally, collaborating with Comme des Garçons and Alexander McQueen—images of food “can be cold and off-putting. Or they can be sensual and delectable, enticing the audience to take a closer look and making them want to sample the goods.” Ultimately, though, the shared beauty of eating and intrigue may be in the anticipation of consumption. “Preparation and foreplay are on par,” he notes. “It’s the build-up that counts.”