Production has wrapped on Theater of Life, a feature-length documentary from Peter Svatek which explores issues around food waste.

The feature is produced by Montreal’s Triplex Films, the National Film Board and Phi Films. Theater of Life tells the story of world-renowned chef Massimo Bottura, who recruited 40 chefs from around the world to help him run a refectory in Milan to feed the city’s homeless population.

The chefs used food that was left over from the six-month long Expo Milano 2015, which was expected to throw out more than 120 tonnes of leftover food each day. Since April, director Svatek, Josette Gauthier of Triplex Films and NFB producer Annette Clarke have been shooting at the refectory and documenting the stories of both the chefs and the people they are serving.

The NFB will be handling the Canadian theatrical distribution of the documentary, which is expected to be released in spring 2016, with Super Channel on board as the broadcaster partner. Seville International has taken the international distribution rights to the doc. Exact release dates have yet to be finalized.

The Phi Centre, a multipurpose arts centre based in Montreal, will also run a series of events linked to the film, such as a conference, waste-food culinary workshops run by chefs, a benefit dinner, a photo exhibit and a preview of the of the completed film.