Sarah Jo Wolanski left her job as a video producer at The New Yorker in 2022 to pursue a career in feature documentaries. After several months of contemplation, Wolanski decided to make a film about a subject she was passionate about: cheese shops.
Similar to sommeliers who specialize in wine, cheesemongers are experts in cheese. American cheesemongers are, for the most part, not held in such high esteem, despite being a proud and honorable profession in Europe. For nearly three years, Wolanski followed America’s great cheesemakers as they attempted the impossible. They defeated the French at their own game and won the Mondial du Fromage, the Olympics of cheese. The result is Wolanski’s first full-length doc, “The Big Cheese.”
In the film, the director follows a team of eccentric and determined American-based cheesemongers, led by Adam “Mr. Moo” Moskowitz, as they compete and overcome personal obstacles while training for the biennial Mondial du Fromage in France.
Variety spoke with Wolanski ahead of the November 13 premiere of The Big Cheese at DOC NYC.
I’ve created some short documentation. Why did you think this film needed to be made into a full-length feature?
This story had so many layers. In addition to the competitive and “cheese knowledge” elements, nearly every American cheesemonger I spoke to had so many personal stories that each could create their own material. There’s also a world of international cheesemongers with completely different cheese cultures, and incredible personal stories that amount to entire worlds of other movies. Editing some of Mondial’s interviews with international cheesemongers and excluding most of them entirely was a painstaking challenge.
What was the biggest challenge in making The Big Cheese as a first-time feature documentary director?
Funding documentaries has always been difficult, but especially now. This was my first feature film as a director, so I didn’t have a strong track record or solid funding relationships, which made it even more difficult. I am deeply grateful to the funders and investors who believed in the vision of this project, trusted me, and embraced my unconventional and unconventional approach. It took a lot of “no’s” and a lot of patience to make this happen.
Contest docs are always tense because if one of the subjects doesn’t win, the viewers are a little disappointed. Did you notice that while filming?
The challenge in creating a document for the underdog is that by definition, the underdog is less likely to win. The very tension that makes the story compelling is the same tension that makes the real-life “Hollywood ending” implausible. You have to approach it assuming they don’t win, and if they do, it’s an extra unexpected bonus. So the key question I was always asking myself, both during development and during filming, was, “What happens to our story if the Americans lose?” I always envisioned Adam’s journey of addiction and sobriety as an important emotional backbone of the film. During his last trip to Mondial du Fromage in 2019, he hit rock bottom and even considered suicide. He will make a strong comeback in the 2023 tournament, which will be his first appearance since then. This is more than just a redemption story for the American cheese community. It is also a very personal story of salvation for Adam himself.
Did you want this document to be “light” and interesting? Why?
The film is not without dark themes, as it depicts a suicide attempt and drug and alcohol addiction. However, we felt that leading with the fun and relatable elements of the film would provide future viewers with an easier entry point into exploring more serious issues. Humor is a very powerful way to build empathy. While there are many heartbreaking stories on this subject, I think it’s important to also highlight hopeful and inspiring stories.
