Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

The powerful influence that films have on viewers’ thinking about an array of issues from racial prejudice and gender stereotypes to childhood violence and international relations has been duly recognized. Relatively little attention, however, has been devoted to uncovering the connections between the messages found in films and chronic international ills, such as hunger and famine. Because eating habits are closely aligned with cultural values, both are continually reinforced through popular narratives projected on the silver screen. Indeed, cinematic images and expressions provide a ripe area for understanding the homogenization of food customs and dietary choices in a wide array of countries over the past century. As a first step in coming to terms with the implications of such a global transformation, this paper seeks to identify the most prominent messages about food found in a random selection of films deemed culturally significant.