The Perennial Plate

Episode 120: A Spanish Roadtrip

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We spent two weeks traveling across Spain, from Basque Country, to Galicia, Andalucia and finally Barcelona. The food and travel adventure was condensed into three minutes... Enjoy! Special Thanks to Intrepid Travel. Films coming soon. ps. we know that Flamenco isn\'t representative of each region, but it is from Spain and we love the song.

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Equal Exchange Coffee Videos

Posted on February 21st, 2013 by Daniel

This summer I had the good fortune of taking a trip with a team of Equal Exchange employees to middle of nowhere Peru. The middle of nowhere was Bahuaja-Sonene Naitonal Park and the coffee growing towns that surround this protected area. To get to our starting point, we took two planes followed by a 12 hour drive (some of it at 14,000 feet). From there, shorter trips of hours of driving and hours of walking up hill topped off this grueling travel. The trip to Peru wasn’t quite as glamorous as it initially seemed. But after filming a woman wheel a 50lb bag of coffee 6 miles down a mountain, all complaints were off. If there is one lesson I was reminded of on this trip, it was the undeniable fact that coffee is hard work. Watch these videos to come along on the adventure and see what goes into each cup of coffee you drink.

For more information and an interactive map, visit http://www.equalexchange.coop/expedition

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The Ethics of Storytelling

Posted on February 13th, 2013 by Daniel

Our latest video about Seed Saving, Farmer Suicides and Monsanto has gotten quite a lot of positive reaction. Thank you. But an online friend brought up some thought provoking points and interesting questions that touched on issues that I’ve long been grappling with. He thought the piece was an attack on Monsanto, which although it may be justified, is not consistent with The Perennial Plate’s dialogue-encouraging films. After some deliberation he asked, “How is it that you finally decide the way your story will be told?”

When I first started making these films I made the decision to share PERSPECTIVES, not FACTS. This decision was mostly based on the fact that I did not have the means (time/money) to make a critical documentary every week that weighs out the pros and cons, differing opinions, etc. let alone figure out my own answer to those questions. With our two-person team, we are able instead to share the life of an individual or two and within that realm, present their point of view. I also chose to try and make the stories be mostly positive (when possible). The purpose of the series is to encourage a better food system in the world. So along with encouraging discussion, we wanted our films to inspire.

In creating these pieces, we may film between 3-12 hours of footage (sometimes more) film many hours of footage. And we cut it down to just 5 minutes (give or take). In that space, there are a lot…

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Etxebarri

Posted on April 29th, 2013 by mirra

Age sixteen was a turning point for me: I had finally started to blossom. Not like the other girls my age — but rather my spiral permed bangs were growing out and I had discovered hyper color tshirts. My plastic, octagon-shaped, white glasses with smurfs emblazoned on each side had been replaced with clear, octagon-shaped glasses that had an off-putting yellowing tint, and stone washed jeans were in style. Given those recent developments, I decided that this period in my life was the perfect time to mingle with other teens at the 16+ “dance clubs” in random suburban strip malls. It was my friend Aimee’s idea, and since she was super hot and naturally tan, I thought we were both going to have an equally good time “clubbing”. Obviously I was wrong. To start off, I was the only person wearing Hammer pants.

Within a few seconds of our arrival a boy with a bowl cut (that’s right…) appeared through the green and pink tinted smoke machine exhaust and asked Aimee to dance. She was flattered (naturally), and wanting to pass on some of her good fortune to others, promised to dance with him only if his friend danced with me. I watched in nervous anticipation as the two boys — both in oversized t-shirts and white baseball caps –…

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Wheels Up

Posted on March 11th, 2013 by mirra

My first time on an 8-seater propeller plane was this past summer during our trip to Martha’s vineyard. It’s one of those planes where, at the airport as part of the boarding process, the attendant asks you how much you weigh in order to assess which part of the flying, mini death trap you will inhabit for the 45 most terrifying minutes of your life. Since I am prone to vomiting at the slightest hint of motion and have a thing about not going on planes where death is a real option, this wasn’t my idea of a good time. Also, due to my weight class (extra small) I was seated in the way back. But we were heading to “the vineyard” to attend a friend’s wedding (where Daniel would be cooking and I, filming), so I thought — even if this tiny plane runs out of gas in the middle of the ocean, bursts into flames and we all plunge to our deaths before being swallowed by a fish or hit by a submarine — hey, at least we tried to get there.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of being transported on one of these things, this is the type of ride where you can actually see your pilot (as he or she is usually sitting directly in front of you, beside you, or on your lap). And I can remember white knuckling the worn leather seat of my chair, fearing for my life and feeling not totally…

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