The Perfect Meal
Documentary / Alexandros Merkouris / Greece, France / 2023 / 52 min. / German / German premiere
A documentary exploring the most recent science behind the Mediterranean diet, considered to be one of the world’s healthiest food traditions, uncovering why certain food combinations can prevent heart disease, cancer, obesity and brain aging.
The Perfect Meal travels from Greece and Cyprus, to France, Spain, the UK and the USA, to reveal the science of the Mediterranean Diet through the work of leading scientists including Cecilia Samieri (Bordeaux-France), Miguel Martínez-González (Navarra-Spain), Nikolaos Scarmeas (Athens-Greece) and Walter Willet (US).
These central characters of the film have dedicated their lives to discovering how certain ingredients and combinations of plant based foods affect our health: how and why they protect us from obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and brain-ageing, but also how this diet can help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Accompanied by the cross-media project Foodprint, supported by Creative Europe and the Goethe-Institut.
In cooperation with ARTE
Film talk
About a filmmaker's journey to the secrets of a time-honoured cooking tradition. A conversation that unites cinema, gastronomy, science and the art of living.
Alexandros Merkouris, Director / Christian Popp, Producer / Thorge Thomsen, Editor Knowledge, ARTE GEIE / Moderation: Ana Luisa Santos, Filmmaker, Ateles Films
