FROM MILAN TO RIO, PASSING THROUGH BRONX, AND NOW AT THE CINEMA, THE UNIQUE "AMBROSIANO REFECTORY" EXPERIENCE BY MASSIMO BOTTURA, THE NUMBER ONE CHEF IN THE WORLD, HAS BECOME A DOCUMENTARY FILM DIRECTED BY PETER SVATEK

Chef Massimo Bottura created the Ambrosiano Refectory, i.e., a cafeteria using the leftovers of the Expo food resources to feed the needy, for the Milan Expo in June 2015. It has been, and continues to be, a unique experience in the world. Not only has the project been reproduced at the Rio Olympics, with the canteen "Italy House", but also the Refectory has captivated even Robert De Niro, longtime Hollywood superstar (but New Yorker through and through), who has insisted on a version for perhaps one of New York’s most Italian-American boroughs, the Bronx.
And now, thanks to the Czech-born director Peter Svatek, the creation of Chef Bottura, crowned best chef in the world by "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" with his restaurant Osteria Francescana, will also become a documentary film, entitled "The Theater of Life". (www.theateroflifemovie.com).
“What does home mean for a person without a home, or a political refugee?” This is the question Svatek asks on his web page presenting the documentary film. “Massimo (Bottura) says that chefs should not cook only for the elite, ignoring ethical issues such as feeding the planet, which are the issues the film explores. The refectory has become home, and it was fascinating and beautiful to see how these great chefs”, said the film director, referring to the more than 40 internationally famous chefs, from Ducasse to Redzepi, who participated in the project during the Milan Expo, “transformed food scraps into delicious meals”.
Svatek’s film (the trailer is available at https://youtu.be/TgcTdBYcDok) came out in Canadian cinemas this month, and the national premiere in Italy was shown on December 31st at "CineWanted" in Milan.