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This uplifting feast of a film goes behind the scenes of an Italian hotel-restaurant staffed by youngsters living with Down syndrome.
Nestled in Italy’s Piedmont region is the Albergo Etico and its attached restaurant, the Tacabanda. Both are run by chef-on-a-mission Antonio de Benedetto, who transforms the lives of young people living with Down syndrome by providing not just practical skills and employment, but also a second home and family in which to belong. Chef Antonio’s Recipes for Revolution follows de Benetto and protégés Mirko Piras, Jessica Berta and others as they share in laughter and love, drama and dreams, and the toil of top-notch customer service.
The final instalment in writer/director Trevor Graham’s culinary trilogy is both a celebration of its subjects’ spirit and a testament to the titular figure’s formidable vision. Like Make Hummus Not War (MIFF Premiere Fund 2012) and Monsieur Mayonnaise (MIFF Premiere Fund 2016) before it, the film features food as a vehicle for larger issues; here, Graham uses humanistic slice-of-life storytelling to tackle intellectual disability, individual agency and industrial reform. Topped off with stunning footage of the changing seasons, scrumptious shots of food and a delightful cast of characters, this MIFF Premiere Fund–supported gem offers generous servings of joy and hope.