Meat+Poultry - June 2018 - 43

"Australia has a very basic barbecue, and
when we came to America we realized there's
a whole other way people barbecue in the US,"
Salleh explains. "We started thinking, 'If it's
different in Australia and America, how else do
they barbecue in other countries?'"
And so the journey began - to find out
what barbecue means to different people in
communities around the globe.
"'Barbecue' is a grand vision of humanity
unified by our most common and primal
tradition," Salleh says in his film's synopsis.
"Stories of race, class and belonging are told
around the fire by families, cooks and backyard
philosophers. In barbecue, we see a ritual
performed religiously across the world. For
some, it's a path to salvation. It is the pride of
nations. It brings the world together."

GLOBE TROTTING

four years ago, they made a stop in Central
Texas. They learned that in Texas, barbecue
means slow-cooked, smoked meat - especially
brisket. They learned that Texans believe their
barbecue is the best there ever was. And, they
learned barbecue is more than just a meal in
Texas, it's a way of life.
The trip through Central Texas turned into
the subject of a short film by filmmakers Salleh
and Tucker, and later became the inspiration for
their full-length documentary, "Barbecue."

Deciding where to travel and which stories to
tell was the first step for Salleh and Tucker,
as they started the film making process in
2014. Aside from Australia and the US, the
two wanted to select countries that were
as geographically and culturally diverse as
possible. They traveled to every continent
except for Antarctica and after 200-plus days
of travel, more than 75,000 miles and around
50 flights zig-zagging the globe they selected 12
countries to feature in the film.
Grant money from Screen Australia and the
South Australian Film Corp. helped fund the
three-year project.
The first stop on the international journey
was Sweden. Lucky enough to find a few days
of sunshine during their visit to the sun-starved
country, Salleh and Tucker told the story of
the "engangsgrill" - a portable, disposable
barbecue grill. Because of the lack of sunshine,
many people in Sweden carry the portable
grills around so they are prepped and ready for
an impromptu barbecue at the first glimpse of
sunshine. The grill gives them the chance to
socialize at the spur of the moment and enjoy
some flame-grilled meats at the same time.
The two-person crew - Salleh directed
and shot the footage, Tucker produced and
coordinated sound - discovered an entirely
different environment and culture on their trip
into the mountains of Mongolia. Accompanied
by a local translator, they learned about the
Mongolian tradition of cooking marmot or

"Everywhere
we went we
would spend at
least a day or
more when we
arrived going
around meeting
people, sharing
a beer, enjoying
some food,
getting to know
who we were
interviewing
so by the time
we were rolling
film everyone
felt comfortable
with each
other."
- ROSE TUCKER

Matthew Salleh and
Rose Tucker traveled to
12 countries, including
South Africa, in around
200 days to film their
documentary "Barbecue."

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