The Taste of Desire (2021)

Directed by: Willemiek Kluijfhout | 87 minutes | documentary

The oyster harbors many metaphors and embraces multiple experiences. Where one person cannot think of putting such a freshly opened shell, including slippery mollusk, to the mouth, another experiences it as a sublime salty taste explosion. Just think of the versatility and decadence that is inextricably linked to the oyster. Whether it’s the delicacy itself or the wonderful by-product; the pearl. A natural phenomenon that is as rare as it is precious in the jewelery world. A lust for the eye. A third experience is that of aphrodisiacs. The oyster increases your libido according to enthusiasts. It is therefore not surprising that the burlesque culture likes to play with the oyster, temptation and the pearl with the female orgasmic organ as a wink.

One thing is certain: you can illuminate this much-discussed mollusk in many ways. And that is exactly what the Amsterdam director Willemiek Kluijfhout (‘Sergio Herman: Fucking Perfect’, ‘Het Nieuwe Artis’ and ‘L’amour des moules’) has portrayed in ‘The Taste of Desire’. Her latest work is a mix of interviews, still lifes and reflections. We see a Swedish diver searching for oysters to sell in the market, two French Michelin star chefs who perform the most beautiful gastronomic arts, the American entertainer who fuses the beauty of femininity and velvety soft oysters and a jewel designer from Japan who uses the most precious pearls manufactures unique jewelry in the world. The fifth perspective is that of the life’s work of a terminal English psychologist. The man tries to finish his book on oysters before he dies.

With elegant images of a company enjoying this crustacean at a party, Kalmthout connects all five perspectives around the oyster. Willemiek has been nominated for the NFF Golden Calf Competition 2021 for this work. Rightly so, because the Amsterdam artist knows what to do with culinary documentaries. A minor flaw is the unctuous voice-over, which was recorded by Catherine Somze. Her contribution is somewhat pathetic and takes the speed out of the viewing experience. ‘The Taste of Desire’ is unadulterated food porn with a serene choice of music, a hint of ASMR to give the documentary aural power, but above all it brings up a beautiful question of life. What satisfies and excites the unsatisfied human desire?