René Redzepi | Noma | My Perfect Storm

A documentary exploring the mind of Noma’s innovative and experimental chef, René Redzepi, is due for release next month. René Redzepi, chef and co-owner of Copenhagen’s renowned Noma restaurant, is known for pushing the boundaries of standardised cooking. By employing local farmers, foragers and purveyors on a daily basis, René has modernised Nordic gastronomy, utilising seasonal ingredients and opening the doors to a new edible world. Director of Noma, My Perfect Storm, Pierre Deschamps, spent two years researching the two-Michelin starred restaurant; getting up close and personal with Rene and his team. The documentary captures René’s unusual methods of cooking and thinking.

>>> Watch: Our insight into René Redzepi's kitchen

Pierre explained: “When he was frustrated by the institutional dictates requiring that servers wear

Director Pierre Deschamps with René Redzepi during the shoot

suits and ties, he sent out his tattooed cooks to greet the restaurant’s customers. Where most elite Michelin restaurants offers and requires the use of silverware, he pushes his customers to eat with their hands. Foie gras is not on Noma’s menu; instead, there are ants and live shrimp.” The documentary picks up from 2013, which was a notably bad year for René. The camera followed behind the scenes, from how the chef re-invented Noma, to everyday stresses in the kitchen. “In terms of exploring personality, I am particularly interested in discovering the inner workings of René Redzepi – the intimate details that reveal who he truly is. In terms of his professional side, I am interested in studying this entrepreneur who makes his decisions based on intuition, with all the risks such an approach entails."

>>> Read: René Redzepi on 10 years at Noma

"I wanted to make a film that is not simply a film about a chef at the stove, but the story of a man in tune with the times, able to pick up on and respond to the prevailing feelings, sentiments, and desires. A tale based on the cultural duality of a character; a story of human relationships, in which joy and sorrow blend to give birth to complex and vibrant meals; a story in which differences between people become an asset; a story in which old wounds resurface. It is also the story of a revelation.” The 95 minute film has already won Tokyo Gohan Best Documentary In Culinary Cinema at the San Sebastian International Film Festival 2015, and will be shown in the USA and Denmark. To view the whole list, visit Noma, My Perfect Storm.

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