Killing of a Chinese Cookie @ Gene Siskel 4/20 & 4/22

The Killing of a Chinese Cookie
2008, Eric Shimoda, USA, 74min.
Sunday, April 20, 5:15 pm
Tuesday, April 22, 6:15 pm

Director Shimoda dares ask the question at the back of everyone's mind: who invented the fortune cookie, and where do they get those "fortunes"? Contrary to popular opinion, the traditional Chinese meal doesn't conclude with a tasteless tidbit with a scrap of paper inside. This playful but fact-filled history highlights the prescient pastry's disputed origins--in San Francisco, the brainchild of a Japanese restauranteur, or in Los Angeles, the invention of the Hong Kong Noodle Company--and the trial that was meant to settle the rivalry. Beta SP video.