The documentary Born Hungry traces the epic life story of Canadian chef Sash Simpson.Courtesy Melbar Entertainment Group
Sometimes, documentaries aren’t the easiest sell for audiences. But Barry Avrich’s new film Born Hungry comes equipped with a killer elevator pitch. Think: the heart-wrenching orphan drama of Dev Patel drama Lion meets the appetite-whetting gastro-tourism of David Gelb’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
Tracing the epic life story of Canadian chef Sash Simpson, Born Hungry follows the kitchen phenom from his days as a runaway child struggling to survive on the streets of Chennai, India, to his rise to the top of this country’s fine-dining scene. (Simpson made his name at Mark McEwan’s Toronto staple North 44, and now operates his own eponymous restaurant in the city’s Summerhill area.)
But while the doc could have started and stopped with Simpson’s life in Canada – he only made it to Toronto by the grace of child-rights advocate Sandra Simpson, who ended up adopting dozens of children from around the world – Avrich goes a layer deeper as he follows his subject back to India, where he hopes to rediscover the family members he lost so long ago.
Ahead of Born Hungry’s Hot Docs premiere on April 26, Avrich and Sash Simpson sat down with The Globe and Mail to talk about food and family.
When did you first hear about Sash’s story, Barry?
Barry Avrich: My friend Jay Hennick, who I made the art-fraud documentary Made You Look with, told me I should go down to Sash’s restaurant. Jay isn’t in the film business, but he’s great at finding stories. I sat down with Sash, then immediately started to do a deep dive into his life.
The film will have its Hot Docs premiere on April 26.Handout
There are two heroes to this story: Sash, and his adoptive mother, Sandra.
Avrich: You can’t overlook her, and she has one of the greatest Canadian stories ever. So I knew that I was going to be making a film with two parallel narratives. We were all set to film, and go to India, and COVID hit.
Sash Simpson: Yeah, so we weren’t going to do that trip any more. [Laughs]
Avrich: We did as much as we could while waiting. And we were able to get Sandra on film eight weeks before she died. As someone who just lost my own mother, I know the pain.
Sash, was there any reticence on your part about putting your life story on film?
Simpson: Going back to Jay, who I had known for a long time, when he first met me, he was just: ‘Sash, you gotta make a movie! Make a movie!’ At that point I was just trying to get my culinary skills sharpened, so I was all, yeah, one day, whatever. Fast-forward and this happens. I was telling Barry a million times, you have only half-an-hour of content here, not a full-length film. But he just said, no trust me.
Avrich: This is a guy who has been reborn so many times. He’s born in India, reborn in Canada, reborn again as a chef, then reborn when he goes back to India to find his culture for the first time.
Was that journey something you would have embarked upon regardless of Barry approaching you?
Simpson: It’s always been on my mind, but more about going back with my family, my wife and two kids, as opposed to going alone. We’re still going to do it.
Avrich: There was talk of bringing Sash’s young children, but our filming schedule was gruelling. Filming on the plane, when we landed, at sunrise, at sunset. And we were in markets and down streets where the humanity was so voluminous, you would’ve had a hard time keeping eyes on any kids.
Simpson: I even lost the film crew! Where the hell did they go? I’m tall, but it took a while to spot the camera man a few times.
Sash Simpson in his first school photo after arriving in Canada, circa 1979.Handout
Sash, your family was already in the public eye – I remember that commercial that Sandra and your adoptive father Lloyd made for Anacin way back. Did that prepare you to open up for the camera later in life?
Simpson: I’ve always been a shy kid, whether there were cameras around or no cameras. I’ve done the Food Network since, but I just had to get used to it. And to have the right people behind you, calming you down.
Avrich: It was amazing how adaptive you were. It was the fourth day of shooting in India, we’re setting up a shot, and already you’re telling me where you think we should set up a third and fourth camera.
When did Priyanka Chopra Jonas come aboard as a producer?
Avrich: I wasn’t going celebrity shopping with this film, but I did think of her from day one because I love her story, and I wanted her input on the storytelling and culture. Was I getting it right? Once we came back from India, I put together a sizzle reel of the film and sent it to her team. They responded with interest, and from then it was her giving me notes on the cuts about development and pacing. The help was invaluable.
Regarding whether or not Sash finds his family by the end of the film, that’s a risky bet to play with in terms of securing a kind of third-act emotional catharsis, or not.
Avrich: No one was sure whether or not Sash would find his family. But what I didn’t expect was for Sash to find himself. To have him walk into that orphanage, which put his entire life into perspective.
Simpson: It was incredibly emotional. A real journey.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Born Hungry screens at Hot Docs April 26, May 2 and May 5 (hotdocs.ca).
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Simpson operates a restaurant in Toronto's Forest Hill area. It is in the Summerhill area. This version has been updated.
Barry Hertz