Last Thursday, November 17th, Story Leads to Action reported back to from the REEL FOODS residency with Catherine Gund's What’s On Your Plate? and Jessica Oreck's work-in-progress Pipe Fire.
REEL FOOD is the latest installment of Working Films' REEL ENGAGEMENT PROJECT which, with support from Chicken & Egg and The Fledgling Fund, is "a series of thematic trainings aimed at securing strategic partnerships between social issue media makers, non-profits, and other key stakeholders leading efforts for change on the crucial issues of our time." (x)
Thursday night's screening focused on illuminating food production, consumerism, and consumption. What's On Your Plate? takes a look at kids and food politics as city kids Sadie and Safiyah explore where their food comes from and how it makes its way to their plates. The film places many societal concerns, such as how food production enables global warming, into child-friendly terms, thanks to the relatable lead characters, Sadie and Safiyah.
During the panel discussion, filmmaker Catherine Gund stated that she wanted her film to act as a learning tool for both adults and children, enabling a shared language for families to open a dialogue about what they eat and why.
The panelists also included Deborah Lewison-Grant from Food Fight, Stephanie Mack from Harlem Seeds, and Maritza Owens from Harvest Home Farmers Market.
Maritza Owens from Harvest Home Farmers Market spoke about her dedication to increasing access to local, farm-fresh products in low-income New York City neighborhoods, placing 21 farmers markets throughout the city. Maritza stated that those living in these neighborhoods often have diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses due to low-access to fresh fruits and vegetables. To counter this issue, Harvest Home Farmers Markets accepts governmental assistance such as food stamps and "health bucks."
Next, Stephanie Mack from Harlem Seeds spoke about how if we teach our children to nourish their bodies with healthy foods, they can do well in school, and be overall happy and lead fulfilled lives. Her program, Harlem Seeds, teaches children how to properly cook foods, and exposes them to food combinations they may never have or know how to prepare. She spoke about how important it is for children to take part in the cooking process, in order for them to be aware of food production, from start to finish.
Rounding off the panel discussion, Deborah Lewison-Grant from Food Fight spoke about how we are programmed by our environment to want to consume nutritionally bankrupt foods and beverages. With Food Fight, Deborah strives to educate a new kind of consumer--one who is aware of the sociological, economical, and political issues that enable to make smart consumer choices.
Panelists and audience members collectively agreed that we must change what is viewed as "normal" when it comes to food consumerism. A primary concern for the audience was in regards to the low-income families who may not receive the proper information or be able to afford healthier food choices. In terms of spreading information and opening a dialogue, Catherine spoke the various supplementary tools she and her crew have developed via their documentary, including an interactive book and other great items. (Click here for the What's On Your Plate shop.)
Overall, a common thread throughout the evening was the need to return to eating meals together and at a table, thereby creating a dialogue about not only what we eat, why eat it, but also about our daily lives.
Next up, Story Leads to Action screened trailer of the lovely work-in-progress Pipe Fire by Jessica Oreck. The film presents one year in the lives of traditional wild reindeer herders in Finnish Lapland and illuminates an unfamiliar bond between man and nature.
Jessica spoke about how she her interest in finding modern day "cowboys" lead her to this project. She wanted to explore what it meant to have "a sixth sense of the natural world." In the making of her project, she discovered that the reindeer herders encounter many of the same problems small farmers face: outdated government policy, climate changes, and consumer market shifts. Her goal for her project is to subvert how Americans currently view nature. She wants to challenge her audiences to engage the natural world more readily, and plans to create an interactive teaching tool around her completed project. Follow Jessica's progress at her website!
A special thanks to all of the filmmakers, panelists, and audience members who came out to show their support and discuss what it means to be conscious of our food choices in this ever-evolving world!
Check out the full Story Leads to Action series list at our website!
Next up: In honor of Human Rights Day, Call Me Kuchu a work-in-progress screening. December 15th at 92Y Tribeca!
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