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A Fine Line

A Fine Line: What Joanna James’s Documentary Is About

Joanna James’s documentary A Fine Line follows restaurateur Valerie James while examining women’s leadership and working conditions in the restaurant industry.

By ThatPainter Team 2 min read
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A Fine Line is Joanna James’s documentary about women’s access to leadership and fair working conditions in the restaurant industry. It follows restaurateur Valerie James and brings in perspectives from food-industry figures including Dominique Crenn, Lidia Bastianich, April Bloomfield, Barbara Lynch, Cat Cora, and Daniel Humm.

What is A Fine Line about?

The film asks why women remain underrepresented as head chefs and restaurant owners, and connects that question to the conditions of work in food and restaurant careers. Its official site identifies workplace harassment, equal pay, paid parental leave, and career advancement among the issues it addresses.

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Restaurateur Valerie James’s personal story is the documentary’s narrative anchor. The film places her experience alongside perspectives from other people in food; the available descriptions do not establish that every named participant has equal screen time.

Who made the film, and how long is it?

A Fine Line was directed by Joanna James. Its runtime is listed as 71 minutes by distributor Bullfrog Films and 70 minutes by Rotten Tomatoes, so it is best described as about 70 minutes long.

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What does the film say about women in restaurant leadership?

The film’s official site says that fewer than 7% of head chefs and restaurant owners are women. The site does not identify the underlying dataset, methodology, denominator, or reference year, so this should be understood as the film’s stated framing—not as a current, independently verified statistic.

When was A Fine Line released?

Rotten Tomatoes lists a limited theatrical release date of February 28, 2020. The film’s official screenings page records its PBS national broadcast premiere in March 2020, in honor of Women’s History Month. Bullfrog Films lists the U.S. DVD release year as 2020 and the copyright year as 2017.

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Bullfrog Films also identifies the film as Best Documentary Feature at the Provincetown International Film Festival. That award information is distributor-reported.

Where can you watch A Fine Line?

Bullfrog Films lists a captioned DVD edition, but current retail stock and streaming availability are not established by the available listings. Check the distributor or a current retailer’s listing for availability before choosing a viewing route.

For a class or organization, Bullfrog Films provides institutional rental and purchase information. Its catalog describes the film as suitable for grades 7–12, college, and adult audiences. The listing does not establish current screening-license terms or prices, so confirm those directly with the distributor.

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Is it suitable for classroom or group discussion?

The distributor’s catalog places the film in several relevant subject areas, including women’s and gender studies, labor and work, sociology, economics, history, anthropology, food and nutrition, business practices, and human rights. Its focus on leadership and workplace conditions can support discussion across those fields.

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The catalog lists an SDH-captioned DVD edition. If caption access or institutional screening permission is essential, verify the details for the specific edition and use with Bullfrog Films before arranging a screening.

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