A Slice of the Cheesemonger Life – "The Big Cheese" Documentary

Meet Sara Joe Wolansky, who swapped her video producer duties at The New Yorker in favor of delving headfirst into the cheesy world of documentaries. Her muse? Cheesemongers, the knowledgeable mavens of all things cheese.

Like the cheese counterpart of a wine-loving sommelier, a cheesemonger is a true cheese aficionado. These curators of curd are highly respected across Europe, but haven't quite tasted that degree of recognition in the US. Wolansky devoted around three incredible years to chronicling the journey of America's crème de la crème of cheesemongers, as they faced the tasl of topping French talent in the world-renowned Mondial du Fromage – or, as we like to call it, the Cheese Olympics. Her dedication culminated in her debut feature documentary, "The Big Cheese."

"The Big Cheese" entails Wolansky hot on the trail of a team of spirited and quirky U.S. cheesemongers, captained by Adam “Mr. Moo” Moskowitz. Scrunching eyebrows in intense training for the biennial Mondial du Fromage held in France, they simultaneously juggle personal hurdles.

Wolansky, in conversation with Variety in anticipation of the premiere of "The Big Cheese" at DOC NYC on Nov. 13, revealed her motivation behind opting for a feature film to tell this story.

The tale of their cheese-bound journey had so many dimensions – from the competitive facet to the intricate cheese heritage, to the deeply personal stories of American cheesemongers that could each warrant a standalone doc. Add in the international range of cheese cultures and personal narratives she had to restrict and edit, and you can imagine the cheese-platter of topics she had to choose from.

Though the struggle for funding was an uphill battle, especially considering this was her first solo venture, she extended her gratitude to investors and funders for embracing her unconventional approach.

Yet, the challenges didn't stop there. Creating a competition-centric doc meant that there was always an elephant in the room - what if the underdogs don't score the win? Well, Wolansky made peace with the possibility that an underdog victory, while it'd be an exciting twist, might not be on the cards. Instead, she concentrated on the personal trials of her characters, particularly on Adam's journey through addiction and redemption.

Even with its dark themes, she aimed to keep the doc light and humorous – a witty, empathetic bridge to the audience. Yes, there are heartbreaking revelations, but there's also inspiration and hope. So grab your popcorn, and maybe some cheddar, and get ready for “The Big Cheese”!