Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Patty vs. Patty (2022)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Patty vs. Patty
Patty vs. Patty is a 2022 Canadian short documentary directed by Chris Strikes. The film tells the story of the 'patty wars' in 1985, where Jamaican patty restaurants in Toronto faced a bureaucratic ruling that prohibited them from using the term 'patty' due to potential confusion with hamburger patties. The film combines documentary footage with satirical reenactments performed by actor Orville Cummings to illustrate this conflict. The film premiered on February 17, 2022, on CBC Gem and YouTube, and was later screened at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and the 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival. It received recognition, being nominated for Best Short Film at the 2022 Directors Guild of Canada awards and winning the Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Documentary in 2023.

Why Watch

  • •See how Toronto's Jamaican restaurants fought for their name.
  • •Meet actor Orville Cummings in satirical reenactments.
  • •Find out about the 1985 'patty wars' and its impact.

Did You Know

•The film premiered on February 17, 2022.
•Patty vs. Patty won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Documentary in 2023.
•The film was screened at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

Perfect For

Food culture enthusiastsCanadian history buffsDocumentary fans