Wayne Wang’s documentary film SOUL OF A BANQUET, is not yet completely finished but it has already been snapped up by Oscilloscope Laboratories for a late 2014 release. Wayne Wang is the director of more than 20 films that include THE JOY LUCK CLUB, MAID IN MANHATTAN and A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS.

In SOUL OF A BANQUET, Director Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB) takes us into the world of Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Chiang opened her internationally renowned restaurant The Mandarin in 1961 in San Francisco and went on to change the course of cuisine in America. The film is equal parts a delectable showcase of gastronomy and a touching portrait of Chiang’s journey from a childhood in Beijing before the Cultural Revolution to accidental restaurateur on the west coast of the United States. SOUL OF A BANQUET features interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Cecilia Chiang herself.

Filmmaker Wayne Wang said, “Cecilia not only changed the face of American cuisine when she opened the Mandarin, she also made the very best potstickers when I arrived in San Francisco from Hong Kong. I’m looking forward to partnering with Oscilloscope to introduce Cecilia’s story and her sumptuous cooking to a new generation of foodies.”

image l to r: Cecilia Chiang, Alice Waters in Soul of a Banquet via San Francisco Film Society