As part of the nationwide Science on Screen initiative, VTIFF presents Food and Country, an investigation of American food systems by acclaimed food writer Ruth Reichl. The film is paired with a lecture/conversation by UVM’s Climate Kitchen (housed in UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences), which brings together researchers, students, and communities at UVM and beyond to develop more sustainable practices—from sourcing to cooking to eating—using the kitchen environment as a living laboratory.
Dr. Amy Trubek, director of Climate Kitchen
In the film, Reichl—trailblazing NY Times food critic, groundbreaking Gourmet Magazine editor, best-selling memoirist, and, for decades, one of the most influential figures shaping American food culture—grows concerned about the fate of small farmers, ranchers, and chefs as they wrestle with both immediate and systemic challenges as the pandemic takes hold. She follows the unfolding stories of ranchers in Kansas and Georgia; farmers in Nebraska, Ohio, and the Bronx; a New England fisherman; and maverick chefs on both coasts. Through her eyes, we get to know the humanity and struggle behind the food we eat. As Reichl says, “How we grow and make our food shows us our values—as a nation and as human beings.”
Food and Country is a movie that offers food for thought (pun intended), so afterward, the audience is invited to join Dr. Amy Trubek, director of Climate Kitchen, and her colleagues for a conversation focused on designing future food systems and advocating for sustainable practices, from soil to plate.
Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.