All posts filed under: Films

Edible Paradise

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My friend Rich Humphreys is often found behind a camera. We met (what feels like) a million years ago when he was living in Auckland. Over the years he has called a few places home including Wellington, Lyttelton and these days, Australia but we always seem to catch up every year or so, no matter where he is based. Creative, free-spirited and well traveled, his enthusiasm for story telling and community developed early on. I vividly remember viewing parties for his personal travel videos, featuring our friends. I don’t know if they ever saw the light of day but they were gold. Edible Paradise “A quiet revolution is growing in communities across Aotearoa-New Zealand, seeding long-term, multi-generational solutions for our food.” Edible Paradise captures the birth of the food forest movement in New Zealand that is about much more than sustainability. It is ‘he tangata’ – the people. Coming together to connect & share both this abundance and the intangible social benefits that are at the heart of community food development.     After almost 6 …

Film review: Wastecooking – Make Food, Not Waste

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“One third of all food produced (1.3 billion tons) is never consumed”. – World Food Programme David Groß is a chef, film maker, activist and all round nice guy. With the car he’s modified to run on used vegetable oil (lovingly named The Wastemobile), and his mobile kitchen made from a dumpster, David embarks on a tour through five countries, leading by example, cooking, interviewing and educating along the way. Throughout his European tour, David eats only what others call waste. This includes (but not limited to) eating leftovers, dumpster diving, foraging in nature, foraging in other people’s fridges, eating bugs, harvesting what farmers cannot sell due to the demand for perfect size produce and fishing bycatch. From learning how to make a meal using leftovers (a skill that’s lost on newer generations) to growing and eating bugs, Wastecooking is a tour documentary that brings up many important issues. Sometimes, they’re hilarious, other times infuriating. Yes, it’s about food waste but instead of being preachy and accusing the others of being wasteful, David’s journey shares many …

City of Gold at Films for Foodies – double pass giveaway

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My Perfect Storm Last Wednesday, I rounded up some passionate Auckland foodies (Carli from The Enthusiastic Cook, Bri from Food Adventures and Georgie from GeorgiEats) for Rialto Newmarket’s Films for Foodies. I’ve been to a couple of these events before but not for over a year. This event was the preview screening of restaurant/chef documentary NOMA: My Perfect Storm. NOMA is a restaurant in Coppenhagen, Denmark who won title of Best Restaurant in the World in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. The documentary explains the journey to the top of the restaurant world, the expected ego and the surprising attitudes of those involved. Chef René Redzepi hails from Macedonia and struggled with the lack of a unified Scandinavian cuisine, the sourcing of local produce and personal prejudice. There are also interviews with critics, food writers and others and I loved the “time and place” ethos of the restaurant. Inspiring plating and interesting for those who enjoy cooking and eating locally and seasonally. Films for Foodies Films for Foodies is a regular event held at Rialto Newmarket. Guests …

Food Porn on Film

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#NZbloggers are hosting a weekly blog post challenge. This week’s theme is FILM and you can check out other posts on this theme here. If you have a little nosey around this blog, you may have noticed I’m a bit of a film junkie. I love lots of genres but food and cooking films are up there. While there are many lists of great film food and cooking scenes, many are outdated. So here is my curated list of some pivitol food scenes from recent cooking films so as well as suggestions for local dining. Chef 2014 A movie about a food truck, the grilled cheese sandwich scene is some sizzling hot food porn. Don’t watch Chef on an empty stomach and figure out if there is a source of Cuban sandwiches in your local BEFORE you watch the movie. That way you can run, not walk to porky, cheesy goodness. Chef best food porn scenes: Grilled cheese Opening scene How to make a Cubano scene Pair this movie with your own 3 cheese grilled sandwich …

NZIFF 2015 – dinner and a movie

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New Zealand International Film Festival 2015 is fast approaching! The dates for each region are (in order of start date): Auckland 16 July – 2 August, Wellington 24 July – 9 August, Dunedin 30 July – 16 August, Nelson 6 – 23 August, Christchurch 7 – 23 August, Timaru 13 – 23 August, Gore 19 – 30 August, Hamilton 19 August – 13 September, Palmerston North 20 August – 6 September, Tauranga 20 August – 13 September, Masterton 2 – 16 September, New Plymouth 3 – 20 September, Hawke’s Bay 3 – 20 September For more information on the festival, films and screening times, visit www.nziff.co.nz As you probably know, I love movies and I love food. Movies and food? Oh yaaaassss. Last year, I picked out a some NZIFF movies and paired them dishes and restaurants and you can check them out here. Here are my top movie picks for NZIFF 2015 and their matching dinner recommendations…Please note, not all of these are foodie movies but most have food, eating or hunger themes. City of Gold, 2015 Directed by Laura Gabbert Starring Jonathan Gold (as himself) Portrait of Pulitzer Prize-winning LA …

That Sugar Film – Review

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Firstly, I want to say this is not a health blog. I don’t preach health advice because I’m not a health professional and I don’t feel like I have any business writing about health. I write about food because I enjoy cooking and eating food. However, this is a film review about a health documentary. For those who are doing JunkFreeJune, this film may be the push you need to get through the second half of the month. The premise Australian director/film maker/writer Damon Gameau does not eat sugar. His diet of healthy fats, proteins, fruits and vegetables is one that we could probably all aspire to. To try and prove a point and to make a documentary, he embarks on a 60 day “average sugar diet” while eating “healthy food” to see the changes to his body and mind. Watch the official trailer here: The average Australian (man, woman or child) consumes 40 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is mostly hidden in processed foods. I found it really interesting is that Damon didn’t eat any …

Deli Man: interview with director Erik Greenberg Anjou

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If you like food, you must see food documentary Deli Man. Run. Don’t walk. Grab a pastrami sandwich on the way. Deli Man talk, dinner, movie combo Yesterday, I rounded up bunch of foodies, bloggers and food bloggers to check out Deli Man at Documentary Edge with all the trimmings. Our appetiser was a free talk by the directors of two food documentaries. Director Erik Greenberg Anjou, the director of Deli Man and one of the directors of documentary For Grace, Mark Helenowski. Both directors showed trailers and clips from the movie and after an hour of food discussion we were HUNGRY. For our main course, we visited The Fed with the Deli Man dinner special. The Fed are official sponsors for Deli Man at the film festival so it seemed fitting to dine there before the movie. For $25 per head we enjoyed Matzo ball soup, pastrami with pickles and mustard, spit roast chicken and gravy, poutine, creamy slaw with peanuts, mash and gravy finished with coffee and NY cheesecake. Washed down with a cocktail and large serving of food …

Deli Man and For Grace – Documentary Edge

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I love food documentaries, don’t you? Documentary Edge is an international documentary festival and has just started in Auckland. The festival runs in Auckland from 20 May to 1 of June and in Wellington from 3 June to 14 June. There are a range of movies to suit different tastes. There are two food documentaries in the festival: Deli Man and For Grace. If you’re interested in one or both, also check out the free event held at The Vault, Q Theatre where directors from both films will discuss food and film. Food Talk Sat 30 May, 4.30 – 5.30pm The Vault, Q Theatre In Conversation with Erik Greenberg Anjou and Mark Helenowski Director of Deli Man, Erik Greenberg Anjou, and director of For Grace, Mark Helenowski, talk food and film in this discussion of their respective documentaries. Free event. Deli Man (USA, 2014) Directed by Erik Greenberg Anjou, Deli Man is a look into the history and the food in Jewish delicatessens. Rated a very healthy 7.6 on IMDB, this story follows Ziggy Gruber, a third-generation deli man …

Cheap date – $5 Wednesdays

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Academy Cinemas is a boutique cinema right in the heart of Auckland City. They’re located just under the public library and you might miss them if you don’t go to the library. They show a small selection of movies including biopics, festival, arty and indie. Academy Cinemas serve Stoke craft beer, organic juices, boutique wines, Kokako Coffee and Kapiti Ice cream. On Wednesdays, thanks to Vice, movies are $5 all day. Make sure you book ahead as this is proving to be quite popular. Tickets are usually $15.50 which is still cheaper than other cinemas who usually charge around $20. Academy Cinemas have an active Facebook page here if you would like to keep up to date with their goings on. Watch and Eat Combo I love a good dinner and movie combo and I’ve blogged about food and movie pairings before. Dinner and a movie can get expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. These are my suggestions on movie and dinner combos that won’t break the bank. All restaurants are within walking distance of the cinema (I’ve provided walking times) …

Monday Bunday: Kumiko and Bunzo

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Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter by brothers David Zellner and Nathan Zellner and starring Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim, Babel) is a movie that is currently being released in cinemas in the US. It did the film festival circuits last year and showed at Auckland’s Academy Cinema in July 2014 as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival. Kumiko is an office worker from Tokyo with a pet bunny named Bunzo. After finding a copy of the film Fargo on VHS, she says goodbye to Bunzo and heads to Minnesota to find the treasure she believes to be buried there. Here are a few shots of Kumiko and Bunzo. The poster below is from Amplify and designed by Sam Smith (Sam’s Myth). You can purchase a signed and numbered (100) poster for $95 from Posteritati. Check out an indepth explanation of the scene by The New York Times, Anatomy Of A Scene. For more information about Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, please check out the movie website here.

Spices for the eyes, heart and belly

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Last Saturday, my friend Coco and I saw the foodporn movie The Hundred-Foot Journey courtesy of Zomato.com. If you like foodporn (also known as gastroporn) and feel-good comedy dramas, then I highly recommend The Hundred-Foot Journey. Also good for date night or a catchup up with foodie friends, just make sure you don’t watch this on an empty stomach and plan a dinner somewhere wonderful afterwards (Indian, French or both).

Films for Foodies: Giveaway

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To celebrate 4 years of Bunny Eats Design, I’d like to share a few wonderful things that I’ve gushed about, salivated over and adored. You probably know by now that I adore movies and I have a little fondness for food too. Pairing movies with food is one of my favourite past times. In fact, tomorrow I’m planning on seeing a foodie movie followed with dinner at a very relevant, very new restaurant. Double pass With special thanks to Rialto Cinemas and Films for Foodies, we are giving away a double pass to the “Love Steaks” Films for Foodie event on Wednesday 17 September 2014. To enter, simply fill in the form below.

Dinner and a Movie: NZIFF Food Matches

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The New Zealand International Film Festival is currently on in Auckland. Next week it will start in Wellington and Christchurch will follow that. The Koala and I LOVE watching movies. Like, love it to bits. We have varied tastes in what we look for in a movie but we can usually both recognise a good movie, even if it’s not our favourite genre. I like anything thought provoking or whimsical and The Koala likes anything with action. We both enjoy thrillers and scares. Recently, we invited a group of friends to watch the cult classic Tampopo. It is a 1985 Japanese film about a woman, her ramen (noodle) shop and her search to make the perfect bowl of ramen. A foodie action comedy with some very innocent characters who contrast with some freaky food erotica. Naturally, we followed the movie by feasting at our local ramen shop. Sorry, we didn’t partake in food erotica. That pairing may have been obvious, but I like to pair food with activities. It’s like wearing shoes that match your bag. A little bit fancy. …

GIVEAWAY 4: VENDETTA FILMS – MOOD INDIGO

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Today’s giveaway is redeemable in New Zealand only. I am happy to announce as part of Bunny Eats Design’s 3rd year anniversary celebrations, one lucky reader will win a double pass to see the film Mood Indigo courtesy of Vendetta Films. Prize can be redeemed at any participating cinema in New Zealand. I am an out-of-the-closet Francophile. The Koala and I watch lots French movies across loads genres and this one looks set to be a charmer. I’m super excited about Mood Indigo, a whimsical French love story directed by Michel Gondry, the genius behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. “Fantastical French romance starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie), Romain Duris (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) and Omar Sy (The Intouchables), from inventive filmmaker Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind, The Science of Sleep). Based on the 1947 novel Froth on the Daydream, the story follows the courtship and marriage of a young couple. Heartbreak ensues when the woman, develops an illness that can only be treated by surrounding her …

“Chin chin” to Tasting Menu

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My friend Coco and I recently went to see the movie Tasting Menu compliments of Vendetta Films. A sweet, light Spanish film about passionate foodies from around the world experiencing the final meal at the world’s best restaurant in Catalonia, Northern Spain before it closed it’s doors. The inspiration for this fictional restaurant is Ferran Adria’s famous (but now closed) Michelin 3-star elBulli which resided on beach in Catalonia. Tasting Menu was unexpectedly funny, wonderfully foodie and the ensemble characters are surprisingly well written for a refreshingly short 85 minutes. There was just enough back story and conflict to hold our interest and I couldn’t help but compare the the converging storylines of the characters to those from the movie Love Actually. I’ve only delighted in a degustation menu once in my life and while it’s a special occasion type of meal, it’s a long, artful process where you are at the whims of your chef. The dishes in this movie all sounded lovely The food prep scenes were clearly well researched and consulted, though …

Go on Hush Puppy. Beast it.

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Movies are the new books. In lieu of a foodie book this month, I’m reviewing a foodie movie. Don’t call me lazy, I’m still reading. It just happens to be a really long book and it’s not a foodie one. The Koala and I attended Films For Foodies last night at Rialto (courtesy of Rialto Newmarket). Films For Foodies is a monthly event, carefully curated to appeal to foodies. For $35 per person, there was a plate each of southern influenced food from The Professional Bar & Restaurant school, a glass of wine, lemon cheesecake from Gu and a foodie goodie bag. All this was enough for a light dinner. The movie started a little late and after some prizes and talk, we settled in to watch this month’s foodie movie: Beasts Of The Southern Wild. The movie Set in a fictional place called the Bathub just outside the levies of New Orleans, Louisiana, this story is told through the eyes of six year old Hush Puppy. What can I say? I loved the movie. …

Movie Ticket Giveaway Winner – Beasts Of The Southern Wild

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The winner of the double pass to Films for Foodies next month is – courtesy of The Random Number Generator is… Congratulations! You and a friend (or stranger, whatever you please) will be treated to a glass of wine, deep south themed nibbles and a foodie gift bag and a preview screening of the new movie Beasts of the Southern Wild. Thanks to all those who responded, even those from far away that weren’t in the running for the double pass. I really enjoyed reading your answers on the places you all wanted to eat your way through.