New to VOD this week:
BARISTAS
Director:
Rock Baijnauth
Premiere:
VOD release (April 2019)
About:
Four national champion baristas prepare for the world championship in South Korea.
A thematic sequel to the filmmaker’s 2015 film, BARISTA, this sometimes overly slick doc trails four competitions who have already been named best barista of their own countries as they vie for world recognition. For the uninitiated, the film reviews competition rules, and then follows its subjects – from Japan, Ireland, Germany, and the US – as they develop their presentations and signature drinks in the lead up to the event, the more interesting aspect of this project. Once the action shifts over to Seoul, the competition itself is presented in a scattered, montage-driven manner, as some protagonists find themselves eliminated, and others make the final. While Baijnauth is able to convey his subjects’ personalities fairly well, and captures an appropriate hipster vibe as a whole, the film is somewhat underwhelming, and likely only of real interest for die-hard coffee aficionados.
what (not) to doc 