The article by Assoc. Prof. Murat Doğan, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) at Istanbul Gelisim University (İGU) and a faculty member of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department, was published in Journal of Hotel Restaurant & Hi-Tech. The article was featured in the journal under the title "A New Concept in Gastronomy: Cinegastronomy." The text of the article is provided below.
Dear readers, I would like to focus on a topic I've been working on for a long time. I have named this concept Cinegastronomy. As you know, gastronomy has intertwined with many disciplines and continues to do so. One of these disciplines is cinema, or in other words, film. The area I’m trying to develop concerns both gastronomy and cinema.
The Work I’ve Done
In this context, it was inevitable for me to work with cinema professionals. First and foremost, I needed to reach out to many filmmakers and get their opinions. What did I do? Of course, I took advantage of the possibilities offered by technology. I organized an electronic brainstorming session with a total of 55 cinema professionals. In meetings of this type, which most of us are familiar with, free expression is encouraged. In other words, a participant’s idea, no matter how absurd it may seem, is respected and not interrupted. As a result, with the data I gathered from cinema professionals, the foundations of the concept began to emerge. I realize I’m dragging this out a bit. But the birth of new ideas, concepts, and fields is often a painful process. Let me start by saying this: Some said that Cinegastronomy was very silly and an empty concept, while others welcomed it with appreciation. I respected all of these views. The irony of the work lies in this, after all.
Cinegastronomy
Now, let me talk a bit about what Cinegastronomy is and what it offers to the field of gastronomy. Gastronomy extends beyond merely producing food and drink and presenting them in the best way possible. In fact, gastronomy also encompasses many historical, cultural, and social phenomena within itself. Furthermore, gastronomy helps us understand the world. In this context, cinema, with its potential representational power as the seventh art form, can support the dissemination of gastronomy to a wider audience.
The rapid changes in today's world are affecting people's psychological and cultural characteristics and habits. Food culture is significant from symbolic, psychological, social, geographical, anthropological, and political perspectives. Eating habits have become more individualized, food consumption has been associated with symbolic values, and ostentation has come to the forefront. With the influence of social media, food culture has diversified, and visual media, especially cinema, plays an important role in this change. Gastronomy has the potential to change eating habits through the influence of cinema. The concept of Cinegastronomy is a new phenomenon where cinema and gastronomy converge, offering an innovative experience that allows individuals to both enjoy cinema and explore the world of gastronomy. Gastronomy and cinema can interact similarly in experience, visuality, creativity, and cultural meaning.
Interactions of Cinegastronomy
People perceive their surroundings through their senses, and films enhance these sensory experiences for viewers. For example, thanks to a scene in a film, you can feel as if you’re sipping your coffee on the steps of the Trevi Fountain under the evening lights without ever going to Rome. You might also imagine yourself filling your plate with different types of pizza by the slice from a pizzeria in the backstreets of Rome and snacking on a high stool. Therefore, the flavors from different cultures seen in cinema can influence viewers' daily lives.
As a visual art, cinema also plays an important role in the practices we learn in daily life. Gastronomy films or food scenes blend the act of eating and drinking with other meanings, making them a part of our cultural and social life. Both cinema and gastronomy require individual creativity and can only succeed through creative activities. Additionally, cinema serves as a bridge between the past and the future, acting as an important part of cultural heritage and continuity. In this context, Cinegastronomy is an essential element in the transmission of cultural heritage. Over the past twenty years, with the increasing interest in gastronomy, elements that fall within the scope of Cinegastronomy have become noticeable in many films. As I approach the end of my article, I want to conclude with concrete examples of Cinegastronomy.
Examples of Cinegastronomy
Cinegastronomy films particularly frame the plot, story, or characters around gastronomy or make it the main protagonist of the film. Additionally, in such films, gastronomy elements can convey different emotions and be used as metaphors. Research shows that the first example of Cinegastronomy is the Lumiere brothers' film Baby's Meal (1895). This film did something that hadn’t been done before by focusing on gastronomy for the first time. Looking at recent examples from Turkey, we can mention Dondurmam Gaymak (2005) and Çağan Irmak's film Issız Adam (2008), where the male chef’s creations like carrot cinnamon cake are used as metaphors. Other examples include Iftarlık Gazoz (2016), Sofra Sırları (2017), and finally, Istanbul Red (2017) by Ferzan Özpetek, which emphasizes the unifying nature of the dining table and its role in family communication.
Conclusion
Through my work, I have identified three sub-factors of the Cinegastronomy concept. These are: (1) gastronomic indicators, (2) the convergence of cinema and gastronomy, and (3) the reflection of humans on cinema through food. Finally, let me conclude by defining Cinegastronomy. Cinegastronomy is the expression of gastronomic perceptions, and beyond that, realistic or metaphorical indicators using cinematographic techniques.
Stay well…
Assoc. Prof. Murat Doğan
