This season’s One Book, One Chicago theme is “Eat, Think, Grow” and this season's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, tells the story of Barbara Kingsolver and her family as they plant a garden and grow their own food for a year. If you love stories about food, you may enjoy watching these food-related documentaries.
Just Eat It tells the story of Jen and Grant, a couple who decide to reduce the amount of food they waste by only eating food that has been discarded. For six months, they scour dumpsters for their meals and discover just how much food is wasted. At the end of their experiment, they share ways we all can help waste less food.
In Defense of Food [videorecording], based on Michael Pollan's hit book, shares his simple philosophy - "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Is our obsession with nutrition actually ruining our health? Pollan thinks a return to common sense and thoughtfulness can help us.
Would you travel to another country just for a meal? In Jiro dreams of sushi we see the legendary Jiro Ono, and maybe begin to understand the siren call of sushi lovers around the globe, as we take a look inside one of the most famous sushi restaurants.
Running a restaurant is a bit like balancing Spinning Plates, the title of this documentary that tells the stories of three very different restaurants in America.
For a story of a family that tries to emulate Kingsolver's, watch Food Patriots, made by local Chicago area filmmakers Jeff and Jennifer Spitz. They begin growing their own produce and raising their own chickens, and in the process learn about the local food movement, joining millions of Americans who are trying to change the way food is produced and consumed.
Do you have a favorite food-related documentary? Share it in the comments!
Add a comment to: Delicious Documentaries: Food on Film