The Hands that Feed

Over the course of the last four decades, the Stellenbosch restaurant Decameron has become a staple for anyone with a love of Italian food and tradition. But behind the sensory pleasures of the restaurant’s dining room, a complex and precise choreography plays out, along with the ongoing interpersonal dramas that are inevitable in any kitchen. We are introduced to chef and owner Mario, whose rustic techniques hark back to millennia of Italian food culture, as well as his son, Marco, and a diverse roster of kitchen staff, whose movements, sweat, and precision serve as the engine for the well-loved family institution and its culinary transcendence. The Hands that Feed is a lovingly made tribute to all those kitchen workers, from potato scrubbers to sous chefs, who make eating in a great restaurant one of life’s true pleasures.