Congratulations to Kyle Finnegan (Film '17).
More specifically, congratulations again! Kyle's remarkable short documentary, "MSG: Mysterious Savory Grains," is now streaming on PBS (through May 31). The film follows chef Tim Ma, who is on a mission to change the "unsavory" reputation of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Through interviews with Ma and two MSG experts, the documentary explores the origin of MSG's stigma. To set the historical record straight, archival footage and visuals from Ma's restaurant illustrate the full timeline of MSG's place in American cuisine.
"MSG" is a special film, bringing together careful research, brilliant storytelling, and pointed humor to reveal the ways that racism and consumer activism "collided" in the 1960s to create lasting, harmful misperceptions of MSG.
Currently a documentary filmmaker, creative director, and photographer based in Alexandria Virginia, Kyle was renowned throughout his tenure as a Film at Mason student as an innovative, generous leader and collaborator on all kinds of projects. As the creative director of 522 Productions, his work has been recognized with a TIVA Peer Award in 2022.
Kyle won the Young Alumni Creative Development Award from George Mason University (2022-2023) to support the making of "MSG." As he writes on his website, Kyle and his filmmaking team -- including Film at Mason alumni Irem Dogancali (editor) and Roberto De Cecco (cinematographer) -- "explored the origin of MSG’s stigma and Chef Tim Ma’s fight to overcome it."
In addition to streaming on PBS, the film is available through Good Docs,
MSG: Mysterious Savory Grains - Teaser from Kyle Finnegan on Vimeo.
May 03, 2024