Title from title frames

There's a force-of-nature at Frankford High School in Philadelphia. Her name is Wilma Stephenson and she runs an infamous Culinary Arts boot camp for students. A teacher for 40 years, Wilma can be blunt and cantankerous; but beneath her tough exterior is a person who cares passionately about getting the best out of her kids. Pressure cooker documents an entire school year with Wilma and her students. At a school where over 40% of the students don't even make it to their senior year, Wilma shows her kids how to achieve her version of the American dream: Choose a realistic goal. Work hard. Work the system. And get out of Northeast Philly. At the end of the year, culinary students from all over Philly compete in a one-day cook-off, where top chefs judge the students; skills and talent. Scholarships are on the line; success will depend upon how dedicated they've been over the last year; enduring stressful home lives while still finding the motivation to wake up at 6AM to get to class early enough to master crepes and tournée potatoes

Originally produced by First Run Features in 2005

Mode of access: World Wide Web