An Interview Peter Miller, the Filmmaker Behind Marcella

A new documentary about Marcella Hazan premieres this week in New York City.

Filmmaker Peter Miller and his wife spend their time cooking from the recipes of Marcella Hazan, the Italian-born scientist who helped introduce Americans to modern Italian cuisine. Then one day he decided to make a film about her life.

Hazans cookbooks The Classic Italian Cookbook, first published in 1973, and More Classic Italian Cooking (1978), and later combined into Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, were instrumental in changing the way Americans perceived Italian cuisine. Hazan, working alongside her husband Victor, released a half dozen other titles on food, wine, and Italian culture.

The film, Marcella, will be released in cinemas, DVD, and video-on-demand on May 9, 2025 with premieres in New York City, Los Angeles, and other cities, and a national telecast on PBS American Masters in July. I caught up with Peter over Zoom one afternoon to talk about the film.

We spoke about the essence of Marcella Hazan’s philosophy, filming the interview subjects cooking her recipes, researching Marcella’s life, and how he sees her impact on America.

You can read the full interview over at Red Sauce America.