Following a celebrated, multi-year run at international film festivals from Cannes to Moscow, the documentary “Jay Fai: Fire & Soul”, a visual portrait of Thailand’s improbable culinary wonder, has finally returned to where it all began.
The Thai premiere of Jay Fai: Fire & Soul coincided with the documentary's official worldwide release on the Utopicfood! YouTube channel. The event featured an appearance by the 81-year-old grand dame of street cooking.
Supinya "Jay Fai" Junsuta, a cook whose journey from modest beginnings to Michelin-starred acclaim has made her a symbol of resilience, creativity and the spirit of Thai street food. The screening also marked Jay Fai’s appearance on stage at the last edition of Copenhagen’s MAD Symposium in 2018, which will be revived this year after a seven-year hiatus.
Jay Fai: Fire & Soul traces Supinya’s rise from poverty, including a devastating house fire that wiped out her family’s savings. Self-taught and a fierce perfectionist, Jay Fai transitioned from tailoring to cooking, creating signature dishes like her world-famous crab omelette.
Years of tireless work behind her charcoal-fired woks earned her international fame and Bangkok’s first Michelin-star awarded to a street food vendor. Through exclusive interviews and candid moments, the film offers an unprecedented look into Jay Fai’s remarkable personal and professional life.
