The Beginner Chef: A Visual Anthropology Film on Food and Identity

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/796a5c_0eb47a98bb674ff69fb141856aaa98fd/720p/mp4/file.mp4

I knew right away what I wanted to do when we got our final assignment for my visual anthropology class.

My flat mates were an interesting group. We were all from different countries, and only one of us, at the time, was residing in the UK. We were from Turkey, Syria, South Korea, China, USA/Palestine, India, and me, from Trinidad and Tobago. We each had our own bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms off a main corridor, so the only room we shared was the kitchen. It was well appointed, so many people could easily cook and eat at the same time, and it was here that I really got to know everyone. This was definitely the heartbeat of the flat. I would see them every day and have the chance to chat, catch up, and learn about their lives and their hometowns. They were all friendly, and we'd share our cuisines with each other, celebrating occasions from time to time.

Three of my flat mates only made meals from their homeland, and the rest of us frequently either cooked our local cuisine or visited restaurants that did. One flat mate, Shoyab, cooked a lot, and I remember being so surprised when I found out he had never cooked a meal before. What he was making was far more complex than what I would expect someone just starting out in cooking would attempt. He was preparing dishes from his home country, India, with all the right spices and steps, which he followed diligently. I'd taste test a couple of things, and I thought it was so admirable that he put in the effort to learn and eat well. It was also interesting to me that he, like many of us who go abroad, had such a deep connection to the food from home. After observing my flat mates and their connection to food and culture, I knew I wanted to focus the class assignment on this topic, and more specifically, on Shoyab, the beginner chef.

Here's an excerpt from my production report, to help ground the video I'm sharing with you:

“This film discusses these themes through one individual’s point of view. Shoyab is a student living in a country far from his home and the piece shows a snippet of his story as he tries to settle into his new environment. Preparation and consumption of his home cuisine contributes to keeping the connection to his identity while living across the globe in the UK.

I chose to let one of the interviews I conducted with him, serve as the narration and the leading line to the piece. As this topic has to do with identity, I felt the inclusion of his voice as the main sound, where you can hear his accent and explanations firsthand, was important to align the piece with the concept. For the imagery, I used individual photographs, consecutive photographs strung together to create stop motion & short video clips. At points the film has no images so the viewer could focus on the sound of the subject’s voice. The background audio includes snippets of two songs from well-known Indian artists who my subject listens to while cooking, a voiceover of him reading the recipe in Hindi and background noises to add texture to the piece.”

The interviews, the filming, the photographs, the research — I enjoyed every moment of this process, and I can't believe I haven't shared it on my website until now. This is the longest film I've made so far, and only a few people close to me have seen it. One fond memory was screening it on a big-screen TV at my dad's house, since up until then I'd only seen it on smaller computer screens. What made it even more special was that he had just come out of the hospital, and we were all gathered in the living room liming with him. He was in good spirits, so I suggested we watch my final film, and he happily agreed. I was so excited to have him see it, and it was a wonderful experience screening it with everyone in person.

I'm not in person with you all, but I hope you enjoy it and share your thoughts in the comments! Also check out my previous post (click link here) to see some of the portraits showcased in the film.