A successful Scottish Chef in New York City harbors a dark secret: an eating disorder.

Director’s Vision for ‘Bitter Taste’

In the wake of Glasgow’s rapid deindustrialization and economic decline in the 90s, a young Fraser falls victim to knife crime and is indelibly marked with a “Glasgow smile”, irrevocably impacting his sense of self and relationship to food. Two decades later, in the bustling streets of New York City, success — Fraser is now an established chef — only exacerbates his unabating inner turmoil. Fraser’s fixation with recreating his mother’s apple crumble becomes the battleground for his subconscious struggles.

Realism is enhanced by on-location shooting and the use of non-actors and first time performers. For example, Alexis Trolf, who plays Fraser, is a real head chef and restaurant owner in New York. Produced with a small budget raised primarily through crowdfunding, Bitter Taste exemplifies the power of independent filmmaking and offers a poignant exploration of unresolved trauma in a society that prioritizes profit over healing.