Michelin-starred chef Antonio Salvatore has spent over two decades crafting masterpieces on the plate. Now, the visionary behind La Table d’Antonio Salvatore at Rampoldi has taken his artistry beyond the kitchen and onto the silver screen. In an exclusive interview with NEWS.MC, he reveals how his new short film, R-Stories, fuses haute cuisine with cinema in a way that is both daring and deeply personal.

Salvatore says the idea for the project came from a desire to prove that chefs are capable of far more than just cooking. “Chefs are creative people. If you want to cook, if you want to create concepts or dishes, you need experience. The idea of making this film started because I wanted to show that chefs of restaurants are capable of doing something else, not just cooking.”

From Basilicata to the Big Screen

Born in the small southern Italian village of Guardia Perticara, Salvatore’s journey has always been rooted in tradition. “When you come from a small village in the south, food is like a ritual,” he explains. “Every day feels like you’re in a restaurant. You grow up with the smell of flour, the rhythm of the seasons, and the beauty of making things by hand. That’s where I learned what taste really means.”

That sense of authenticity became the heartbeat of R-Stories. The film, directed and produced by Snejana Barteneva, is an experimental short that redefines the relationship between gastronomy and cinema. Each frame, like each dish at La Table, is crafted with precision and emotion. “It’s not only focused on the food,” Salvatore says. “It’s more of a 360-degree view — creativity, emotion, personality. It’s about the energy between people.”

From left to right: Lou Beyne, Luiz Costa Macambira, Chantelle Oriani, Abigail Tara-Lilly, Celina Lafuente de Lavotha, Jérémie Chinkami, Sébastien Lambelet, Victoria Silvstedt, Nicolò Salvadego

A Cast That Reflects Monaco

Filmed in Monaco, R-Stories features a remarkable ensemble of real personalities and local figures rather than professional actors — a deliberate choice by Salvatore to honour the Principality’s spirit. “I didn’t want models,” he says. “I wanted real people — individuals who live here, who visit the restaurant, who embody Monaco. Some are actors, some are personalities, but all of them brought authenticity and heart.”

The cast includes Victoria Silvstedt, Celina Lafuente, Chantelle Oriani, Luiz Costa Magna, Lou Beyne, Jérémie Chinkami, Abigail Tara-Lilly and Sebastien Lambelet. Together, they represent what Salvatore calls “a dinner of different personalities and nationalities — just like Monaco itself.”

Behind the scenes, the film was realised through a creative partnership with Barteneva, alongside the talents of cinematographer Angelica Sharipova and creative assistant Milana Chigridow, with production by Bodo Studio. With the support of La Table d’Antonio Salvatore at Rampoldi, and contributions from luxury partners such as Roberto Cavalli and many others.

“It was a big production — professional, detailed, and full of passion,” Salvatore recalls. “We worked 48 hours non-stop, but everyone had a smile. It’s a film we’ll remember for life.”

From left to right: Angelica Sharipova, Anton Usanov, Milana Chigridow, Antonio Salvatore, Andrian Huette, Snejana Barteneva

More Than a Restaurant

For Salvatore, R-Stories is more than a creative experiment; it’s a statement about the changing world of dining. “Today, many restaurants are more like discos — music, lights, noise. We’ve forgotten that restaurants were once places of ritual, of emotion. Families would come together to eat, to talk, to remember. That’s identity. That’s history.”

His film is, in many ways, an attempt to reclaim that lost sense of meaning. “When we lose tradition, we lose everything,” he says. “History is part of tradition. Without it, we lose identity — we lose ourselves.”

A Message for the Next Generation

At its core, R-Stories is a love letter to Monaco, to art, and to the new generation of dreamers who, like Salvatore, believe that passion can be a profession. “I want to show that the restaurant is not only food and drinks. It’s a place where you enjoy life. Every character in this film transmits something to another — emotion, creativity, hope. Maybe a young chef will watch it and say, ‘One day I will do even better.’ That’s the message.”

Salvatore doesn’t see himself merely as a chef anymore. “I’m not an actor or a director,” he says. “But a chef isn’t just someone who cooks. We create, we teach, we share. This film is about that — communicating what we love.”

Looking Ahead

As R-Stories begins its festival journey upon its release in November, Salvatore is already balancing multiple projects: a New Year’s menu celebrating truffles and foie gras, a pop-up restaurant in Dubai named Il Giardino Rampoldi at Signor Sassi, and the Michelin Ceremony in Monaco next March. Still, the heart of it all remains the same — creativity, identity, and a deep respect for tradition.

“I believe in my dreams, in my facts, in my creativity, in my spirit,” he says. “And I believe we can make people remember what food — and life — really taste like.”

R-Stories: With Rampoldi
A film by Antonio Salvatore and Snejana Barteneva
Presented by La Table d’Antonio Salvatore at Rampoldi, Monte-Carlo

Images by Linda Abuselidze