SYNOPSIS:

Vegetarianism seems to be a very contemporary phenomenon. Yet it has a long and little-known history. From the Indian Jains to the hippies, from the Roman philosophers to the Japanese Buddhist monks, from the Cathars to the first Vegetarian Society, founded in London in 1847, this documentary recounts, for the first time, an odyssey fraught with conflict, sometimes with persecution, and embodied by the great universal figures who, through their diet, raised the question of man's place in the world.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

After more than 20 years spent with my eye behind the camera viewfinder, I never tire of immersing myself in an environment that is, at first, unfamiliar to me in order to draw a story from it. I initially specialized in long-term immersions — spending the duration of their schooling with students in training (The Year of the Bac, 2×52’, France 2; The School of Palaces, 3×110’, France 3), a year with inmates nearing the end of their sentences (Between Two Lives: From Prison to Freedom, 90’, Canal+), several months with young opera singers (Baroque Academy, 90’, France 3), or a year following a lawyer through a grueling legal battle (The Missing Women of the A26, 60’, France 2). More recently, by collaborating with co-authors, I have broadened my scope to include films combining archival footage and new shoots — investigative documentaries. I delved into the immediate history of Operation Serval in Mali (France at War, 70’, France 2). I also spent several months immersed in the fascinating world of autism, filming how this condition is treated across the globe (Autism: A Place Among Others, 90’, Arte).

AWARDS AND SCREENINGS:

The Archeological Channel International Film Festival – Official screening selection 2026, Rencontre Cinéma-Nature - official selection 2026, Festival della comunicazione e del cinema – selection 2025, Firenze Archeofilm – Official selection 2026