Roaming

Gourmet food trucks at Downtown L.A. Art Walk.

Masa Revolution: The Backstreet to The American Dream is an independent documentary for theatrical release about how the booming food truck scene builds community. It also covers the history of the industry and highlights Los Angeles as a model for the world in the street food revolution. The full-length feature chronicles the trials, confrontations, and turf wars as the food truck movement began to explode in Los Angeles in 2010. It captures the smell of Carne Asada- curbside, the taste of truffle-aioli sauce, and the flavor of fresh Maine Lobster, as well as exposes some other unsavory stuff.

Why the name? Well, “Revolution” means a radical change. “Masa” is Spanish for cornmeal, the bread of Mexican street food. The film establishes that street food in L.A. is rooted in Mexican culture. It establishes that the food truck industry is split along a singular line, which crosses racial, economic and cultural barriers: mainly Mexican on one side and Gringos on the other.

 

Tamales Elena_106_Bag

Customers at Tamales Elena in Watts

You can tell them apart because the trucks look different. The traditional side is mostly plain white

catering trucks, or Loncheras (in Spanish), while trucks on the gourmet side are wrapped with shiny colorful graphics. We profile one of each and discover how gourmet trucks allow people to connect with a bigger community through food: Explore unfamiliar cultures. Talk to strangers. Build community.

Gourmet food trucks create that “old plaza” type of public space– common in Europe and South America– but that has never before existed as part of American culture: a place where strangers come together, and break bread on the street. The irony is that regardless of skin color, language, or religion, people from all tax brackets gather over gourmet truck cuisine. In philosophical terms, when you share a meal together, you get to know each other. You get beyond stereotypes: roach coach, racial slurs, or social stigmas. People let their guards down and be who they really are. Gourmet food trucks create that sort of space and provide a way for people to connect.

So, what’s the “marked change” in the food truck indsutry? Kogi BBQ used Korean seasonings to spice up tacos/burritos and sent tweets to draw crowds. That pioneered the gourmet food truck movement and food trucks started popping up in parts of L.A. that had never dealt with them before. That set off a political firestorm. Lawmakers moved quickly to extend restaurant grades to catering trucks. Now, an “A” on food trucks is same as an “A” at a swanky spot: Geoffrey’s in Malibu, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris Steak House. It really flipped Roach Coach stigma. It made food trucks hip and trendy. It made food trucks more acceptable to the mainstream. Masa Revolution explores that shift in attitude and social consciousness.

This is my passion project. Masa Revolution goes beyond the celebrity lure of food trucks, and captures the struggle of the Mexican people to build the industry. With one in six Americans saying they will eat from a catering truck this year, Masa Revolution is timely, relevant, and will leave the audience feeling inspired!