Tuesday 20th October 2020.

Show Archive

October 20, 2020

It is a big welcome back to the show Pituka Ortega Heilbron, we talked in September about the Cinema Sanitas. Well, it is time for this month showings, two movies that will run from 7pm on the 23rd to midnight on the Sunday 25th. A great choice of movies:

● The avant world premiere of the Panamanian documentary Higher Grounds, the

debut of Stuart and Nanette Svenson; tells the story of how through collaborative

competition, a group of coffee growers from the highlands of Chiriquí managed to

position Panama and its coffee as one of the best in the world.

Synopsis: The film explores variety, farming practice, and processing

innovation—notions traditionally associated only with winemaking—and shows how

through collaborative competition, the Panamanian growers are banding together to

raise the bar for coffee worldwide. Featuring interviews with award-winning coffee

producers in Panama and global coffee celebrities, as well as stunning footage of

Panama’s breathtaking highlands, HIGHER GROUNDS concludes with a hard look at the

sustainability of specialty coffee, the implications for developing-region producers,

and how Panama offers a model for the rest of the world.

● The inspiring documentary The Biggest Little Farm (2018) from the award winning

director John Chester.

Synopsis: The Biggest Little Farm follows two dreamers and a dog on an odyssey to

bring harmony to both their lives and their land. John and Molly make a choice that

takes them out of the city and onto 200 acres in the foothills of Ventura County,

naively endeavoring to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete

coexistence with nature. The land they’ve chosen, however, is utterly depleted of

nutrients and suffering from a brutal drought. The film chronicles eight years of

daunting work as they attempt to create the utopia they seek, planting 10,000 orchard

trees and over 200 different crops, and bringing in animals of every kind – including an

unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. When the

farm’s ecosystem finally begins to reawaken, so does the Chesters’ hope – but as their

plan to create perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns, they realize that to survive

they will have to reach a far greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of

nature, and of life itself.

Availability: Both screenings will be free of charge, with limited VOD-type views through the Eventive

platform.

The movies will be available starting Friday, October 23 @ 7:00 p.m. until Sunday,

October 25 11:59 p.m.

Screenings for Higher Grounds will be exclusive for Panama territory.

Screenings for The Biggest Little Farm will be available to the entire Central American

region. Language: English with spanish subtitles.

Q&A´s & Conversations

Two Q & As’s with each director of the programmed films followed by conversations with

different panelists:

Stuart Svenson / Higher Grounds: We will present a casual conversation between Pituka

and Stuart where they tell us about the research, filming and post-production process of their

documentary. Available from Friday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. until Sunday, October 25 11:59

p.m.

Conversation: “Entrepreneurship, cultural identity of Coffee” with Wilford Lamastus Jr.

(Elida Estates), Rachel Peterson (Hacienda La Esmeralda) and Ricardo Koyner (Kotowa Farms),

who from their experience as coffee growers will expand the important implications of what is

happening with the flourishing and successful coffee industry of Panamá.

John Chester / The Biggest Little Farm: We will present a casual conversation between

Pituka and Stuart where they tell us about the research, filming and post-production process

of their documentary. Available from Friday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. until Sunday, October 25

11:59 p.m.

Conversation: “Farm Ecosystems” with Lourdes Guerra Suarez (La Granjerita) and Rolando

Chamorro (Hacienda Mamecillo), Panamanian farmers who are currently leaders of the

sustainable farming movement in the country.

Free access worldwide

Essay contest

The activity will be open to all Panamanians and foreign residents of the Republic of Panama,

over 18 years of age. Each series, September, October and November, will have its contest.

The December series will be aimed exclusively at young people. Participants must develop

their essay based on viewing the films of the second series.

Cash prizes for First Place B / 300.00 and Second Place B /. 200.00

To review the contest rules, you must access the CINEMA SANITAS website

Halloween time with Feisty Foodie Sara. A cocktail giving you the eyeball and a dish from Thailand.

Devil’s Margarita

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz tequila blanco

3/4 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed

3/4 oz simple syrup

Red wine such as Cabernet

Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice, pour in tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup.
Shake until chilled and pour into glass of choice (I prefer a martini glass), leaving ¼” for the red wine
Set a spoon at a 45 degree angle barely placed inside of the margarita. The back of the spoon should be facing the ceiling.
Pinch the top of the wine bottle with your finger and slowly pour red wine onto the back of the spoon and let it drizzle on the surface of the margarita.
Pour until you have about 1/4 inch of red wine in the glass.
Congratulations! You’ve made a really cool looking layered drink!

Tip: Don’t have any simple syrup? No worries! Mix equal parts white sugar and water (ex: 8 oz sugar, 8 oz water) into a microwave safe container and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cooking time will vary depending on how much sugar and water you’re cooking!

If you want to make this for a crowd, make the base ahead (tequila, simple syrup, and lime juice) and place in the fridge until you’re ready to serve! Then top each glass with the red wine.

FUN GARLISH FOR HALLOWEEN COCKTAILS

Get canned leeches and fresh blueberries

Place the blueberries inside the leeches and spear two with a skewer

Place across the top of your martini glass so it looks like 2 eyeballs

Pad Thai

Ingredients

Sauce:

4 tablespoons (60 ml) Thai fish sauce

4 tablespoons (50 g) sugar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) bottled tamarind paste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon (15 ml) unseasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sweet paprika, for color (optional)

2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as Sriracha

Pad Thai:

3 to 4 cups medium-width rice noodles, soaked

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola, grapeseed or peanut oil

cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon dried shrimp

1/2 cup (95 g) chicken, cut into thin chunks, 1-inch lengths

2 large eggs, whisked

½ cup carrots, shredded

8 shrimp, peeled and cleaned

1 cup (240 g) bean sprouts

1/4 cup (50 g) dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed

3 to 4 garlic chives (or scallions), cut into 2-inch lengths on a bias

1 lime, cut for garnish

Chili flakes, if desired

Directions:

For the Pad Thai Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika and chili sauce. Set aside.

For the Pad Thai: Soak the noodles in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and coat the skillet completely. When the skillet starts to smoke, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 seconds. Add the chicken pieces and dried shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. until no longer pink.

Push ingredients in the skillet to one side and let the oil settle in the center of skillet. Add the eggs into the oil and let set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble. Combine with the remaining cooked ingredients in the skillet, scraping the bits from the bottom before they burn. Add the drained noodles and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the noodle soaking water.

On a side of the pan, add the shrimp and shredded carrots and cook 2-3 minutes. Mix all ingredients together until both the chicken and shrimp are at medium doneness. Add the sauce and fold into the mixture.

Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts and the garlic chives (or scallions) in the center of noodles, and then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the skillet seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water. Mix everything together.

Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts, lime and chili flakes (if desired).