Tag Archives: Devour!

10.20.20
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The Man Behind Bread in the Bones, An Interview with Darrell Varga

Location: Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main St
Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Date: Friday, Oct 23, 2020
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Buy In-person screening or Online Tickets here

* w/ Q&A after the film with director Darrell Varga and Festival Host Bob Blumer.

Darrell Varga is a professor by day and baker at other times. His passion for the former began when he took a class in film history, and it opened his mind to the possibilities of the moving image. Many years later, his interest became his occupation, including penning many books and having a tenure at NSCAD University (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) where he teaches cinema history and documentary film production.

When he’s not in the office, he worked on Hunters and Gatherers, about the world of collectors (and not just geek stuff) in 1994. This work predates the television show Collector’s Call and many other similar documentaries. He followed up with another piece in 1996, Working Days, funded in part by TVOntario, is about the closure of a Toronto factory (the first to close) after the signing of Free Trade with the US in the 80s and the sense of loss the workers had and the community. Not as well known is a video essay, Fire, Ice and Sky (2013) which explored the ideas of time and landscape.

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10.18.20
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On, not Of, Fish and Men, A Documentary about Sustainability

Devour Food & Film Festival

Location: Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main St
Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am (In-person screening)
             9:00 am – 4:00 pm (Online)
Price: $10.00

For other upcoming screenings, please visit the Fish & Men website.

Not everyone knows where their seafood comes from, and the difference between commercial fisheries versus smaller local operations is in where they get their catch– and sustainability. Fish & Men is an important documentary to watch because it presents a struggle to survive in a cutthroat marketplace where the consumer’s dollar is top prize.

Not many smaller operations, usually a fisherman and his mid-sized boat, can keep up with what the market wants. Sadly, these days it’s more about quantity than quality. I support a local fish operation, Finest at Sea, in Victoria, BC. They have a ship or two under their employ to fetch a variety of fish up and down the British Columbia Coast, and the difference is in how they keep things fresh until it hits the dinner table. In this feature length exploration, Gloucester, MA, America’s oldest fishing port, is shown struggling to survive.

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10.16.20
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Devour 9.5 with Bread in the Bones. It’s a Guilty Pleasure

Devour Food & Film Festival

Location: Al Whittle Theatre
450 Main St
Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Date: Friday, Oct 23, 2020
Time: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Buy In-person screening or Online Tickets here

* includes the short Alchemy.
* physical event includes a Q&A after the film with director Darrell Varga and Festival Host Bob Blumer.

The cultural history of bread is not just about how people come together to bake, but also with its influence in Western Civilization. The analogies made in Bread in the Bones is simply amazing as it delves into different platforms of expression. From edible art by Salvador Dali to poetry by Lewis Carroll, there’s a lot to this loaf’s hold in various aspects of life which I didn’t even realize!

I won’t discuss the politics as it’s not my thing, but I will say many Bakers, authors and historians (sorry, no candlestick makers) are featured in this scrumptious documentary made by baker, professor and film historian Darrell Varga. He’s travelled off the beaten track to gather different stories to feature in his work. Stu Silverstein stands out because while he may look like a stoner from the 70s, he has a lot of far out wisdom to note.

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