CHEF ANTONIO’S RECIPES FOR REVOLUTION follows Chef Antonio de Benedetto and his apprentices, young people living with Down syndrome and a passion for hospitality, as together they create a gastronomic revolution in their world-first hotel and restaurant.
In 2015, Antonio co-founded the Albergo Etico (Ethical Hotel), in Italy’s northern Piedmont region, famous for its wine and culinary heritage. Here, guests are welcomed, shown to their room, cooked for and served by young Italian men and women living with Down syndrome.
Chef Antonio’s Recipes for Revolution is a cinematic invitation to experience the behind the scenes story of this unique restaurant and hotel, as its staff embark on a journey to take their vision to the wider world.
Directed by Trevor Graham (Monsieur Mayonnaise, Make Hummus not War), Chef Antonio’s Recipes for Revolution is the first Australia/Italy documentary co-production, and is set to screen in both countries this March to coincide with World Down Syndrome Day on March 21.
The national Australian Q&A screening tour in March starts March 4 at Mt Vic Flicks in the Blue Mountains, home also to Australia’s brand new Hotel Etico at Mount Victoria Manor, inspired by and modelled on the hotel in the film.
In Italy, the film will premiere at Cinema Massimo, in Turin’s world-renowned National Cinema Museum on March 21.
Australian screenings: antidotefilms.com.au/chef-antonios-recipes-for-revolution
In the picturesque town of Asti in the north of Italy, Chef Antonio de Benedetto is on a quest to change the world with his delicious food.
His apprentices are Mirko Piras, a young man born with Down syndrome, who dreams of becoming a great chef ‘just like Antonio’ and Jessica Berta, an ambitious waitress who’s also set her sights on a career among the pots and pans. Their tiny kitchen is the beating heart of a revolutionary restaurant and hotel like no other. Both are staffed by young men and women living with Down syndrome who come from across Italy to train and work in hospitality, so they can take their place at the table of life.
Chef Antonio’s Recipes for Revolution is their closely observed story, told in first person by Antonio, Mirko and Jessica. It’s a journey through their lives and loves, dreams and dramas.
