Gastronomy and Cinema

In this assignment, students engaged in an exploration of food as a narrative and symbolic language by designing a five-course menu inspired by a film of their choice. The structure of the menu—Amuse-Bouche, Appetiser, Main Course, Dessert, and After-Dinner Drink—was used as a framework to mirror the progression of a storyline, allowing students to draw creative parallels between cinematic elements and culinary expressions. Each course served as a metaphor for a key character, emotional arc, theme, or pivotal scene from the film, inviting students to think critically about how food can embody abstract ideas and evoke specific moods. Students selected films that held strong emotional, aesthetic, or thematic depth, ranging from personal favorites to classic narratives. They analyzed their chosen film’s essence through the lens of taste, texture, color, and composition. They translated this analysis into thoughtfully crafted dishes, considering not just ingredients, but also how the form and experience of each course could reflect the emotional or symbolic undertones of the film. Alongside the menu items, students provided short written descriptions (3–5 sentences each) explaining the conceptual link between the dish and the corresponding cinematic element. These explanations demonstrated their ability to merge visual storytelling with culinary symbolism. To complete the assignment, students presented their menu in a visual format that echoed the film’s aesthetic. This project challenged students to develop their storytelling skills through the use of transmedia, pushing them to think across multiple platforms and modes of communication.