The Wing or the Thigh? (1976)

Charles Duchemin, the formidable head of a renowned gastronomic guide recently elected to the French Academy, sees his lifelong fight for fine cuisine threatened by Jacques Tricatel, the powerful CEO of an industrial restaurant chain. As gastronomy becomes increasingly industrialised, his son Gérard—far removed from his father’s ambitions—secretly leads the life of an artist within a small circus troupe. A classic of French cinema, The Wing or the Thigh was the number-one French film at the French box office in 1976, and the second biggest box-office success of the year overall, across all nationalities. Its popularity also extended beyond France: on the international stage, the film was awarded the Golden Screen (Goldene Leinwand) in Germany in 1978, a distinction honouring exceptional commercial success.