Experience the Fusion of Food and Film at the Billy Wilder Theater
By Dolores Quintana
On Friday, November 3, 2023, at 5:00 PM, the Billy Wilder Theater in Los Angeles will come alive with the aroma of gourmet cuisine and the magic of cinematic storytelling as the UCLA Film & Television Archive and the Hammer Museum proudly present the fall installment of the “Food and Film” series entitled Amuse Bouche. This unique event promises to be a sensory journey, celebrating the intersection of food and cinema.
Renowned chef and restaurateur Alice Waters, co-founder of the iconic Chez Panisse restaurant in 1971, will kick off the evening with an exclusive prix fixe dinner, setting the stage for a captivating cinematic experience. You can make your reservations at Resy. While it is recommended that you reserve a table before 6:00 p.m., if you do not or cannot attend the screening, reservations for the prix fixe dinner are available until 9:00 p.m.
The “Food and Film” series invites audiences to explore the diverse facets of our relationship with food and each other, as portrayed through a selection of captivating short films from around the world. From the earliest cinematic scenes of family meals to biting parodies of cooking shows, the program offers a delectable assortment of culinary narratives that reflect the political, cultural, and sensory dimensions of our shared human experience.
The evening’s film lineup includes:
- “Repas de bébé” (France, 1895) – One of the earliest films by Louis Lumière, capturing a simple yet sociologically significant family meal.
- “Semiotics of the Kitchen” (U.S., 1975) – A subversive take on cooking shows, deconstructing kitchen politics with biting satire.
- “Easter Snap” (U.S., 2019) – A documentary that brings to life the communal tradition of hog processing in Alabama.
- “Historias de Cultura: Oaxaca en Santa Cruz (Comida)” (U.S., 2022) – A mouthwatering film celebrating Oaxacan cuisine in Santa Cruz, California.
- “Fake Fruit Factory” (U.S., 1986) – A glimpse into the personal lives of women making artificial fruit in Mexico, a work that goes beyond their craft.
- “Jesa” (U.S./South Korea, 2019) – A heartwarming exploration of the Korean tradition of honoring ancestors through food offerings.
- “Bread” (U.S., 1953) – A unique live-action montage by Charles and Ray Eames, delving into the multifaceted role of bread in society.
- “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe” (U.S., 1980) – A delightful documentary capturing the unusual promise of filmmaker Werner Herzog as he fulfills a bet by dining on his own shoe, with the assistance of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.
Admission to the event is free, with no advance reservations required. Seating is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and the box office opens one hour before the event.
