Melanie Liebheit and Gereon Wetzel: She Chef
This text is written by festival directors of the Magnificent7 Festival in Belgrade. Svetlana and Zoran Popovic:
Germany, Austria 2022
105 minutes
directed by: Melanie Liebheit and Gereon Wetzel
Screened at the most important festivals, this enchanting documentary is a fantastic journey through Europe and the elite spaces of contemporary cuisine. For Gereon Wetzel, co-author of the film, this journey begins ten years ago with his entry into a cult restaurant in Spain and his great film “El Bulli – Cooking in Process”.
The main character, an unusual girl named Agnes, is remarkable as she is the winner of a world cooking competition, but even more so because she wants to improve her knowledge and skills to the highest level. She sets herself the task of a search that takes her to the kitchens of some of the most prestigious restaurants in Europe. Both when she observes from the sidelines as an apprentice and when she passionately participates in the process in these exclusive kitchens, she equally concentrates and intensively re-examines her own professional choices. At the same time, in an exciting way, it becomes an increasingly present search for knowing oneself and discovering the meaning of one’s life. So, not by chance, guided by deep inner currents, this search finally brings us to one of the most unusual restaurants in the world, which is located in surreally beautiful, dream-like landscapes in the north of Europe. Brilliant discreet observers, Melanie Liebheit and Gereon Wetzel, gradually introduce us to the process of fantastic transformation, creating an extremely exciting film finale that enchants us with beauty and hope.
A visually fascinating entry into the exciting processes of different cuisines shaped by the skills of Europe’s best chefs, but above all, a film about maturing and discovering yourself.
