Eden

Gregor, a corpulent, eccentric chef, runs a small restaurant on the outskirts of town. In his spare time, he often sits by a street cafe where he is served by Eden. Eden is married to Xaver and has a daughter, Leonie, aged five, who has Down Syndrome. Gregor first sees Leonie in the park. She is playing by the fountain and in danger of falling in. He is very charmed by her (and her mother) and decides to bake a cake with his own homemade chocolate for her birthday. When Eden tastes the chocolate, she is hooked. She visits Gregor’s kitchen to taste some more of his cuisine, which leads to a close, but platonic, relationship. Eden and her marriage flourish and she finally becomes pregnant again. But Xaver is jealous of Gregor, and vandalises his wine cellar. This makes Gregor decide to leave town, but first he wants to see Eden one last time. Eden is a charming, light-hearted relationship drama about the art of cooking and love. The film fits in seamlessly in the tradition of sensual food films such as Eat Drink Man Woman, Bella Martha and Como agua para chocolate, that may now be described as a genre. Your mouth starts watering as you see the many exquisite dishes Gregor prepares, all of which have a secret recipe. (JJ)