IDS 2110 - Reel Food and World Cinema

Credits: 4
Food has been part of the semiotic process of film-making since films began. Both food and film provide information about ourselves and our values. They both communicate information about our political and economic aspirations, ethnic and religious values, and even sexual and philosophical identities. Both enrich our minds with ideas about adventure and bravery, hope and despair, love and romance, and more. This course explores the representations of food in world cinema. We will pay special attention to the social, cultural and historical issues depicted in films from around the world. In addition to analyzing films as pieces of artist cinematic expression, we will also examine the multiple roles that “culinary images’ play in world cinema. We will also pay special attention to how food production and preparation, presentation and consumption can play an important role in film structure, character development and film themes.
McDaniel Plan: Social, Cultural and Historical Understanding; International Non-western