Director's Works
Rao's Homemade, The Perfect Tomato Spencer MacDonald
Spencer MacDonald is a director born in NYC, raised in San Francisco, and currently based in Berlin. His work resides at the intersection of documentary and fiction, exploring the space where humanity meets environmental mysteries. His debut short film, Scarlet Medusa, follows an aging Japanese scientist’s quest to unlock a tiny jellyfish’s secret to immortality. After premiering online through Nowness, the film went on to screen at numerous international festivals, including Palm Springs International ShortFest and the Atlanta Film Festival, where it received an honorable mention in the documentary shorts competition. His second short film, A Body Called Life, remains active on the festival circuit, having screened at over thirty festivals and picking up ten awards, including Best Documentary Short at Raindance and qualifying for the 2025 Academy Awards. Other works of his have been featured by publications including The Atlantic, National Geographic, Director’s Library, and Vimeo's "Best of the Year." He regularly directs commercial projects for brands such as Airbnb, VW, Lyft, Allbirds, and Alltrails, and he is currently in development on his first feature; a fiction titled Passengers.
Shooting on 35mm film in the Italian countryside, we brought the origins of Rao’s ingredients to life—sun-soaked tomatoes, fresh basil, and hand-selected garlic and onions. Edited by Kauai of Leap Year, we shifted between the serene beauty of the countryside and the precise, methodical pace of the factory, showing how these two worlds work together. The cuts, fast-paced and playful, combined with the opera-style music, reflect the passion and attention to detail that define Rao’s. The figurine, representing the voice of the ‘tomato gods’ became an unexpected but memorable way to emphasize the importance of the ‘pomodoro,’ while helping tie the journey from farm to jar together in a way that stays with the viewer.
