STS.429 | Spring 2005 | Graduate

Food and Power in the Twentieth Century

Related Resources

Documentaries

The Cola Conquest
(Irene Angelico, 1998, 150 min, USA)
On the invention and development of Coca-Cola.

The Cheese Nun: Sister Noella’s Voyage of Discovery
(Pat Thompson, 2003, 52 min, France)
Documentary on Sister Noella Marcellino’s journey from cloistered cheesemaker to campaigner for bio-diversity.

A Day Without Sunshine
(Robert Thurber, 1976, 60 min)
Documentary on Florida citrus farmworkers.

Deconstructing Supper: Is Your Food Safe?
(Directed by Marianne Kaplan for MSK Productions, Inc., 2002, VHS/DVD, 48 min. Host: John Bishop)
A chef investigates food safety in the age of GMOs and industrial agriculture.

The Famine Within
(Katherine Gilday, Ontario: Kandor Productions; Canberra, ACT: Ronin Films, 1990, 90 min)
Discussion of body image and eating disorders.

Food for the Ancestors
A culinary-history exploration of Days of the Dead and other Mexican traditions.

The Future of Food
(Deborah Koons Garcia, 2004, 89 min, USA)
Investigation of the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade; documents the stories of farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology.

Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers
(Les Blank, 1980, 51 min, USA)
A documentary on the history of garlic with interviews with chefs, garlic lovers, and historians.

Hidden Korea
PBS documentary on Korean culinary traditions.

Modern Meat
(PBS, 1999, VHS, 60 min)
An investigation of the modern meat industry and the safety of our current meat supply.

Race to Save the Planet #7: Save/Feed
(Annenberg/CPB, 1990, VHS, 60 min)
Examines world food production and the challenge of feeding a growing population. Discussion of environmentally damaging farming practices in both industrial and developing countries and the movement to replace conventional methods with low-input, sustainable practices.

Ray Kroc: Fast Food McMillionaire
(A&E Video, 1996, VHS, 50 min)
Documentary on fast food millionaire Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds restaurants.

Seeds of Doubt
(Four Corners, ABC-TV, 1999)
An investigation of genetically modified food.

Slow Food Revolution
(2003, 52 min)
An Australian documentary on the international movement known as Slow Food, which champions the protection of traditional culture, the environment, and biodiversity, while encouraging regional production, food education and pleasure.

Sugar Song
(Pamela Burke, 2003, 18 min, USA)
A documentary covering a day in the life of Bobby Judice, a sugar cane grower in Franklin, Louisiana.

Super Size Me
(Morgan Spurlock, 2004, 100 min, USA)
A “tongue-in-cheek” look at the legal, financial and physical costs of America’s hunger for fast food.

The Trouble With Sugar
The Trouble With Sugar (transcript)
(BBC, 2004)
BBC program investigating how the sugar industry has lobbied to undermine scientific evidence that sugar has an adverse effect on health.

World of Food: Tastes and Taboos in Different Cultures
(Diane Archer, UCSC, 2000, 35 min)
A cross-cultural study of what makes food seem edible, delicious or disgusting.

Feature Films About Food

Babette’s Feast

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Distant Thunder (Asani Sanket) (1973, 101 min)
On the Bengal famine; set in 1943-44.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman

Like Water for Chocolate

Tampopo

Other Media and Web Resources

Food Force

Video game about combating world hunger.

Shut up and eat everything on your plate

Discussion of TV network’s alleged resistance to airing History of Food documentary, produced by Alec Baldwin 

PBS site on ethics of coffee production and consumption

Social Appetite site

Splendid Table: Food in the Movies

Course Info

As Taught In
Spring 2005
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