• Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted.
  • 47% of food in the home goes to waste
  • Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes).
  • 20% of methane emissions from landfills come from food waste, one of the largest causes of greenhouse gas emissions.
  • 30% of fruit and vegetables do not make it onto supermarket shelves because they are not ‘attractive’ enough.

Got the point yet?

So, what if a renowned chef decided to transform this waste into amazing dishes for those in need? Theatre of Life is a documentary highlighting Chef Massimo Bottura and his goal to change how we perceive and use food waste.

During the 2015 “Expo Milano,” Chef Bottura opened a unique soup kitchen that fed the poor and homeless of Milan … with meals prepared using the waste food of the festival. His soup kitchen turned rejected food into delectable dishes for those most in need of a feed.

Bottura invited 60 of the world’s best chefs to cook for the refugees and homeless of Milan, including Newfoundland’s own Jeremy Charles. What he did broke barriers, brought haute cuisine to the disadvantaged, and changed how his home country saw food waste.

That soup tent has grown into an amazing, permanent place called Refettorio Ambrosiano that keeps Bottura’s quest alive. “The Refettorio became a home,” says Bottura. “It was fascinating and beautiful to see how these great chefs transformed food waste into delicious meals.”

The film tackles questions about chefs cooking food for elite clientele, while ethical issues about feeding the planet go ignored. The film also shares a glimpse into the life of the homeless and political refugees on the streets of Milan, to nail home the impact the Refettorio has made in its community.

You can catch this documentary this weekend — September 25th, 7pm — at the Arts & Culture Centre. The evening will open with a local short film, Justin Simms’s Hand. Line. Cod, which follows a group of traditional hook and line fisherman hoping that century old methods can increase success for the future of the fishery. Admission is $15 adults, $12 students.