He doesn’t know yet which ballot he will cast for the French presidential elections in April. Meanwhile, Xavier Denamur has not sent back the membership form that the UMP (Union for a Popular Movement, Nicolas Sarkozy’s political party) sent him. In 2009, like 120,000 other restaurant owners, he had received it after the government had cut VAT rate from 19.6 % to 5.5 % - it was increased in January 2012 to 7 %. Built on mutual trust with restaurants, the tax cut should have encouraged price reductions on meals and beverages, increased employment and salaries. But according to Xavier Denamur, it was a lure, which he denounces with a calculator and a camera.

The owner of five restaurants in Paris, Denamur used some of the benefits of the VAT cut to make a documentary in collaboration with the Fife. In République de la Malbouffe ("Junk Food Republic"), released in cinemas on February 1st, he chops down the whole strategy. "This tax cut makes 3 billion euros disappear from the state income while no law has been passed to obligate restaurant owners to hire people or lower their prices. I intended to show the real consequences and how all this works. Economical transparency must be watched over."

Not only does Xavier Denamur denounce the policy, but he also champions the French art of living with its savory cuisine, which is being nibbled by chain restaurants that do not cook fresh products, and take great advantage of the VAT cut. The restaurant owner takes it one step further: a free orator, he wants to raise awareness among his fellowmen: "General interest, does that ring a bell to you? We can make things change but everyone has to take part to the project and start with getting knowledge and a critical mind”. He thanks the French Republic for what it has made of him. "I went to boarding school until 16. Then I went to university thanks to state scholarships. The dissertation I wrote for my master’s degree was entitled "Inadequacy between agricultural production and demographic growth". I bought my first restaurant when I was 26. We were in 1989 then, and I had the intuition that the area was about to be very lively. Last year, I declared 1 million euros on my tax form. And I’m still rebelling against injustice.”

Website: republiquedelamalbouffe.com

Screening on Thursday, February 9th at 16:30 at the Cinéma des cinéastes