No pun intended.
Marija Jacimovic
So what is the future of our food? An interesting question… I really love the use of food to tell its own story.
Tag: environment
Harvest :: Office Farming
The Japanese are known for their utilization of every little bit of space that they can find. I suppose it is extremely important considering how the population size in such a small country. This is taking space usage to an extreme. Growing most of the fresh food served in the office cafeteria in the same building that it is consumed in. Ingenious idea!
Think about it. If every company used their office space as efficiently as this company we could eliminate a huge amount of food pollution etc. Probably not a very likely solution to providing fresh local food even for city dwellers, but it is an interesting concept. Maybe we could find something in the middle… Something between growing everything onsite and trucking it in. I wonder what that would look like?
Harvest :: Teaching for the Future
Plus M Productions
I’m getting on my digital soapbox again. Well sort of. Just by posting this I feel like I’m on my soapbox and that’s really not my intention. I just feel inspired by this video.
I am constantly surprised at how people that I would consider to be highly educated- doctors included, seem to know so little about food, nutrition and what our bodies really need us to put in to let us live our best. I wouldn’t consider myself knowing all that much about the topic, but just by talking to some people I realize that I know more than many of my associates.
I like this film because it’s addressing the issue that people are unaware of how their food is grown and why its important for themselves and for their community. I love that it goes beyond the biology of it all and concentrates on historical and social preservation as well.
Stepping off of soapbox now…
Harvest :: One drop of water
Chris TUrner
So perhaps its cliche to talk about water while talking about food, but we wouldn’t exist without it, so may as well acknowledge it. We’ve had quite the year of forest fires and it’s times like these when we appreciated the water cycle more than ever.
I’m so glad that someone made the water cycle into a three dimensional story. I’m sure you remember the water cycle posters at school and although informative, they never seemed all that eye catching. Although this is still made out of paper, it’s far more interesting to the eye.
Michele Guieu
And as this is on the verge of getting preachy (I do apologize although I like the artistic qualities of the videos) I’ll leave it at that. Two important points… and two videos for the price of one.
Harvest :: Bread Flour
I know, bread again. A few months ago I talked about the Tartine Bakery in San Francisco in a film about the bakery itself. This time however, the film I want to share is not about the bakery and the break making process itself, but about the importance of the flour source.
David Sampliner
There is something to be said about getting your food from a local and fairly natural source. So much of what we eat is trucked across the country or processed beyond recognition. This film makes the bread look good and sustainable at the same time. Yes, I am one of those people that likes to live as sustainably as possible and part of that, to me, is eating as wholesomely and as locally as possible. I’m not a big fan of processed and chemical laden foods. This film makes me hungry just looking at it.
I wouldn’t say that this film has anything outstanding about the technicalities of its creation. But, I will say that I appreciate the message that it sends and proves that there are places that preserve the food culture of the area of origin and are making an effort to bring people natural and local food.
Gathering Season
I’m sure you saw it coming- at least one month that highlights food. Can I really help talking about food? It’s only what sustains us and that our lives ultimately revolve around. Even if we don’t grow our own food or enjoy cooking it, everything we do in some way or another leads us back to food.
I love this time of year. The weather is still warm, but slowly cooling down in the evenings and the light has changed to a golden glow throughout the day- no more of that overly harsh and bright light that we have during the summer. It’s almost like the sun’s dimmer switch has been turned down. The perfect light for filming without having to use a lot of lighting equipment to dull or brighten the scene.
This is also the time of year that we gather in our food to get us through the winter months. Could I be any more obvious about how I chose my theme for this month? Probably not, but I’m not apologizing. I love the variety of produce in the farmers market and the idea that things are winding down slowly from summer. As much as I love summer, I’m always ready to pull out my fall sweaters and soon it will be time to do just that. But for now, I will enjoy my last few weeks of playing out doors in lighter layers and feel thankful for the harvest that is being hauled in from the fields- even if I’m not physically doing it myself.
I love food in all of its complexities and now seems the perfect time to celebrate this all important element of our lives.
Culture :: Return of the Sun
Now that the weather has finally gotten warm, verging on hot for the Pacific Northwest, take a mental cool off:
Glen Milner
I’ve never lived in a place with extreme living conditions. I can’t imagine living in the dark for half the year and bright sunshine the other half. Nor can I imagine living in a place that is perpetually cold, except for those few months in the summer where the snow finally melts away.
On the other hand, these people are used to these harsh conditions, and the changes occurring due to global warming are changing their culture. No longer are they able to live as their ancestors have- something that seems to be prevalent across the planet as we use more technology and interact in different ways. But with these changes comes a silver lining- we have opened the world to everyone and not just the few wealthy people who can afford to travel.
But what are we losing by changing our cultures and merging into one?
Culture :: Andean Gold
I believe that some of the best things in life are worth waiting for- and the this beautiful video says just that.
The Inoue Brothers
I visited Peru about three years ago now and had the privilege of seeing these animals roaming the mountain side, but never a ceremony like this. However, I did see the community spirit that is the Peruvian culture. Each community is very tightly knit and everyone helps with the survival of everyone else. I think that’s what I like about Latin culture- that the community is more than just a group of people living amongst one another, but they are one large family.
Run Off :: Return of the Salmon
Back in January, I posted a short film, “Year of the River,” which talks about the removal of dams in Washington State that started in 2011. This has been a huge step in ecological recovery in the state and has created all sorts of research into 1) the effects of dam removal and 2) how long it will take nature to recover from human impact. Researchers at the University of Washington, National Geographic, and National Park Service Blog, to name a few, are all participating in the collection of data.
Enough of the ‘lecture,’ my point of mentioning this video was more to do with another point that I made in the same post- I promised to talk more about a film project that I worked on concerning a very similar topic.
Salmon.
Picture from National Geographic
Yes, those large fish that you can see fly between fish vendors’ arms at Pike Place Market in Seattle and more than likely have eaten while in coastal towns in the US, UK, Scandinavia etc. Salmon is a huge part of the culture in the Pacific Northwest, even if we take it for granted. Salmon live in our rivers and adorn our cities in ornate sculptures and artwork. It’s so important to us that when I was five, my Kindergarten class spent a month learning about Salmon. Continue reading
Art :: Boundless
[vimeo https://vimeo.com/29498902 h=360&w=640]
Dir. Gregory Colbert
I thought this was the perfect transition from “Award Season” to “Art”. Ashes and Snow truly is a magnificent piece of film art and should be recognized for it. I consider this an art film beyond the image as the metaphoric meaning is artful enough.
As described by the director:
“Gregory Colbert’s Ashes and Snow feature film captures extraordinary moments of contact between people and animals as seen through the lens of the artist’s camera on more than thirty expeditions to some of the earth’s most remote places. Written, directed, produced, and filmed by Gregory Colbert, it is a poetic field study that depicts the world not as it is, but as it might be—a world in which the natural and artificial boundaries separating humans from other species do not exist. The viewing experience is one of wonder and contemplation, serenity, and hope.”
emfirno 