Why did I choose "Reel Food and World Cinema"? And What is my favorite "food" movie?

    I have always had a love for learning about different cultures. Because I grew up in a community that was not very diverse, I always yearned to understand the cultures and lifestyles of the communities that I was never exposed to as a child. And because of that yearning, I've always wanted to travel, learn about, and experience as many different cultures as I can (even if I can't always travel to those places). It’s amazing to think that the building blocks of our society are made up of so many variables like body language, aesthetics, beliefs, folklore, the arts and, of course, food. If there were a World Cultures major or minor here at McDaniel, I would sign up in a heartbeat. I’ve taken The French-Speaking World class and the Asian Approaches to Acting class and loved it. So naturally, I had to sign up for the class that had both cinematic & cultural aspects. 

   

    Although I haven’t watched many food movies, a food film that I really enjoyed was Le Bouillon D'awara also known as Awara Soup (1996). I was introduced to this film in my French-Speaking World class, and I still think about it to this day. This documentary is about the tradition and process of making Awara soup. This type of soup is known for its tedious cooking technique, its significance to the community, and the various and unique list of ingredients. Awara soup is made up of Awara fruit, smoked fish, smoked chicken, corned beef, shrimp, cabbage, green beans, and spinach and takes about thirty-six hours to prepare. Like awara soup, the city of Cayenne, French Guiana is filled with so many different types of people, cultures, and subcultures. If you are intrigued by the histories & cultures of french-speaking counties, then I would definitely recommend that you watching this film!