‘Food at 24 Frames Per Second’ Satisfies a Cinematic Appetite

In the opening scene of “Tampopo,” a man dressed in a white tuxedo and seated in a theater looks into the camera and says, “So you’re at a movie, too. What are you eating?” This line is befitting of ‘Food at Twenty-Four Frames Per Second’ (‘Food at 24fps’), the free film festival which “Tampopo,” an ode to the ramen noodle, opened last Monday in the Adams Pool Theatre. The line is fun, light, and unexpected—and it immediately makes the stomach rumble.

In a time of economic uncertainty, a film festival focused on the pleasures of food might seem to be a luxury. ‘Food at 24fps,’ however, is more than an escape from the necessities of college life. It is a reminder of one of the basic—and sometimes forgotten—joys of existence: the joy of a good meal with friends. By presenting audience members with several films related to food throughout the months of February and March, the organizers of ‘Food at 24fps’ have set out to bring together people of all walks of life, united by their common love for a satisfying meal.

Principal contributors to the festival include Vaughn Y. Tan ’05, currently a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School; Professor Corky White, an anthropology professor at Boston University and a Japanese studies researcher at Harvard’s Reischauer Institute; Gus E. Rancatore, owner of Toscanini’s Ice Cream; Huan Zhou ’11, a resident of Adams House; and Robert V. Fitzsimmons ’10 of Pforzheimer House.

Before the screening began, Rancatore—owner of Toscanini’s Ice Cream in Central Square and one of the people behind ‘Food at 24fps’—said that the festival would show “movies that we thought other people would like or should see.” Fellow speaker and MIT professor Thomas Levenson added, “Food is a path into all of the concerns that each of the filmmakers might have.”

Rancatore also mentioned that “Tampopo” quickly became a cult hit after its release in the United States in 1987. The film had a long run at the Brattle Theatre, a celebrated independent cinema on Brattle Street in Harvard Square.

“Tampopo,” by Japanese writer-director Juzo Itami, is a meditation not only on the art of cooking and the pleasures of eating, but also on the link between food and sexuality. Throughout “Tampopo,” food itself is treated as a sort of lover. The film examines these themes in a series of vignettes that supplement the main narrative, which follows an inexperienced restaurant owner named Tampopo on her quest to master the art of making the ramen noodle.

“One aim of the movie is to explore the question of the morality of art...through the noodle-making process,” Professor Levenson said in his introduction.

In order to foster discussion about the film, the organizers hosted a reception afterwards where bowls of instant ramen noodles were served. ‘Food at 24fps’ plans to provide themed foods, such as beer and cheese, at upcoming screenings as well.

A number of factors came together to make the festival possible, from the arts initiatives spearheaded by Harvard University President Drew G. Faust to Boston’s growing slow-food culture. In addition, without volunteers, free venues, and the enthusiasm of the organizers, the festival would likely not have happened.

One of these organizers, Professor White, said that she hoped the festival would be fun and not too heavy. Regardless of whether or not the mood of the festival is light, attendees can be sure that their stomachs will be heavy with food after the screenings—a fitting complement to the fare that they saw on the big screen.