How food transmits culture and ethnic identity in " Soul Food" & "Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored"

As an African American, both Soul Food & Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored hit very close to home for me. These films accurately depict "The Black Experience" and how food plays an important part in our culture & lifestyle. For centuries Black people have had to change how we carry ourselves, how we speak, how we dress, but not how we cook. Cooking, like with all cultures, is a way for people of all walks of life to come together and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Growing up, whenever I saw food being prepared with the same abundancy as this gif from Once Upon A Time... is when I went to family reunions. I don't know if you've ever been to a Black family reunion, but it's quite the celebration (I mean, just look up "Black Family Reunion Playlist" on Spotify and see how many pop up). Anytime I see or eat Deviled Eggs, I can't help but hear Before I Let Go by Frankie Beverly and Maze play in the background as memories of all of my older relatives saying "Y'all young folk don't know nothin bout this" as they rise from their seats to go do a choreographed dance. With soul food comes an experience. No matter what dish is being served, whether it's chitlins or sweet potato pie, soul food gives you a sense of comfort and homeliness. Almost as if an old Black woman is hugging you and assuring you that everything will be alright.

When eating soul food, you don't feel as though you have to keep appearances. In many cultures, it is inappropriate to get your hands messy, but with soul food, that's not necessarily the case (this is not to say that soul food doesn't require table manners). A lot of soul food dishes are made to eat with your hands, which allows for a more intimate and personable connection when eating. African Americans constantly have to deal with battling between keeping their heritage & traditions and assimilating to a culture that will make it easier to thrive in the world. But taking the time to sit down with your family, eating with your hands, and letting your hair down can allow you to forget social expectations and enjoy your family and culture.

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Vianne's Many Roles Within "Chocolat"

It's without a doubt that Vianne Rocher is "the falcon" of Chocolat. She enters our story as a literal force of nature to be reckoned with. Just like her chocolates, Vianne is a mixture of many things; two of those things being of both French & Mayan descent. Some other important aspects of Vianne's character is that we see her cook and heal throughout the film. Because of Vianne and her cooking & healing, we see the French town of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes transform from drab and subdued to vibrant and full of life. The role that I want to focus on is her role as a cook. Without cooking, we wouldn't have a story! Vianne's job as a cook allows for her to heal & help the villagers around her because she heals through cooking. When she first opens her shop, we see the townspeople reluctant to venture into her store. She convinces her first customer, Yvette Marceau, to by a bag of unrefined cocoa nibs from Guatemala that will waken the passion be...

Final Blog Entry: The Reel Food & World Cinema Experience

Now that the semester is coming to a close, I decided to go back and reread my previous blog posts. I can't say that I've taken the time to go through my entries after the initial publishing. It's strange to go back and read them and remember my headspace when writing them or what was going on in my life during that time. Memories rush back of sitting decker auditorium, locking eyes with my friends when something unexpected or hilarious happened, hearing Dr. Esa laugh at a scene that no one else found as funny, and chuckling at the one person who was always asleep and snoring during the screening. Overall, I didn't really find this course challenging. After taking both Intro to Cinema & Film Analysis: Hitchcock , I was used to this style of class. It was difficult to keep up with the journal entries from time to time. I really appreciated the variety of films we watched (even if I didn't agree with the choices of the films). I don't think I would hav...

How Food Helps Discover Personal & National Identities in "Como Agua Para Chocolate"

Food is the most coherent, articulate, persuasive, and powerful speaker within the entirety of Como Agua Para Chocolate. Communication is a very important aspect of this film. The very first thing that we, the audience see is an onion being chopped as we hear the narrator explaining a trick to prevent crying from onions (we find out later how important this moment truly is). Although we've seen food being used as a means of communication in previous films- such as Mostly Martha - this film best executes the idea that food can speak louder than words, especially when words can't be spoken amongst main characters. The first time we see an example of this is when Tita and Nacha are preparing the Chabela Cake for Pedro & Rosaura's wedding. We can see how absolutely torn up Tita is by this, despite knowing Pedro's true intentions. She is succumbed by anguish and nausea that she begins to cry into the batter. The next day at the wedding, we witness Tita's grie...

The Cinematic World of Culinary & Culture

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