Curated streaming platform MUBI is known for serving up films so good you can almost taste them, but MUBI’s latest Collection “Let’s Eat: Food and Film” takes that literally.
Food is at the heart of everything we do, so it makes sense it’s constantly playing a big role in movies. MUBI is celebrating the times food had a cameo on the silver screen spotlighting how filmmakers use food as a key device in cinema.
We’ve broken down some of our favourite moments in movies where food’s more than a prop: it’s a symbol, a method for talking about deeper topics. It’s basically the main character.
Winter in Sokcho (2024)
Set in Sokcho, South Korea, “Winter in Sokcho” relies on food to explain the complicated relationship between the narrator and her cultural heritage. Representing the tension between the narrator’s Korean and French roots, both cooking and eating provide layers of meaning.
La Cocina (2024)
In the comedy-drama, “La Cocina” food is symbolic of harsh realities. The chaotic preparation of the food and mass-produced dishes are used to portray the precariousness and the exploitation of the immigrant experience in the United States.
Flux Gourmet (2022)
Black comedy “Flux Gourmet” follows the bizarre power struggles and bodily functions at Sonic Catering Institute. In the film, food isn’t a source of sustenance or enjoyment: it’s a material for performance art, used to critique the idea of "art for art's sake.” Streaming in UK only
The Lunchbox (2013)
In “The Lunchbox” food is used as a symbol for connection and cultural identity, acting as a device that bonds two strangers over a misplaced tiffin box. We see a representation of how food can bridge the gap between the most different people.
A Dessert for Constance (1981)
This comedic French film follows two street sweepers who discover a cookbook and enter a TV cooking show to raise money for a sick friend. It might be a comedy, but food is used to explore deep topics, including challenging racism and the idea of immigrant solidarity through French cuisine.
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