Here's an incredibly insightful video featuring Alex Atala like you've never seen him before. The acclaimed Brazilian chef is seen cooking, eating, farming and chatting with iconic surfer Rob Machado.
In the latest episode of his series Through the Lens, Machado takes a trip to Brazil where he is enchanted by nature and Atala's philosophy of life. There are beautiful depictions of the dishes from Atala's restaurant D.O.M., the Amazon and the beautiful beaches of Rio, all of which tie into the central theme of water.
Through the chef's own words we see how everything in  the world -from a rice farm to surfing - is connected through water:
"What is cooking? It's boiling, steaming, baking, cutting...for all these you need water. You are not able to do anything [without] water. The ingredients need water. Cooking didn't start in my hands, in my kitchen, it started before in nature, and water is important in each moment. For chefs, water is like blood."
There's a scene where Machado helps Atala distribute water filters in the Jardims Gramacho slums where locals don't have much access to clean water. It's just one of the many inspiring moments in the video. Check it out: Â
THROUGH THE LENS with Rob Machado - Alex Atala from Through The Lens on Vimeo.