A talented young chef struggles to grow her confidence during an intense service at a once legendary restaurant on the brink of losing its coveted Michelin star.

Director’s Vision for ‘Apricot’

I’ll never forget my worst night of service at Boniellos. The restaurant had taken off in the two years since I started and it was clear to the staff just how hard it was for everyone to keep up. It must’ve been after I burned myself taking some garlic knots out of the oven (that ended up on the floor) when Bianca Bonniello, the first daughter of the restaurant’s namesake, heir to the throne, took the small service team of about six teenagers into the kitchen for a pep talk. It was what she said at the end of her speech that stuck with me forever.

“We just have to get through service. We will always get through Service.”
And then here I found myself, circa 2021, having the worst night imaginable on set as a PA in LA. Three in the morning in the middle of the desert outside of Vegas, battling sharp wind and bitter cold as everyone was losing their minds. I remember seeking refuge in the Assistant Director that day. Captain of the ship. He told me:

“We just have to make the day. We always make the day.”

It was then that I realized the connection between my two deepest cornerstones. The similarity in perseverance, comradery, intensity and creativity present on set and in the kitchen. Or any high stakes collaborative space for that matter. And it was after my own dive into the actual art of cooking in the years that followed that I realized just how connected the journey of every artist is. That’s what Apricot was born out of; the culmination of everything I have learned so far and the need to capture that indescribable energy on screen.

I started writing Apricot out of this necessity to scream out into the world: I am good enough. I can do more. But I also realized the only way to do that is to believe in my own potential. No one is going to give you anything. Every opportunity must be created by yourself. You have to fight for your spot on the table and take what you deserve. THAT is the lesson Rose must actualize in Apricot. And my hope is the audience comes away with the same notion. You DO deserve what you work hardest for.