You're Invited: Spirited Away #FoodNFlix

 

imdb.com

Next month, February 2021, I am hosting Food'N'Flix, the movie-watching, food-making group rallied by Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. So for the second month of the new year, I chose Spirited Away.

I was able to access the movie on Amazon Prime. I hope everyone who wishes to participate can find a way to access it. 

Let me start with this: I had never heard of this movie until my boys purchased it on Amazon. They have long been fans of Studio Ghibli movies though I have never watched any of the movies with them.

However, the first time they watched it, both commented that I should suggest it to my foodie movie group. I largely ignored that suggestion until I was reading through a list of top twenty-five films that food lovers have to watch. Okay. I was convinced and asked Heather if I could host it for a month. Done.

To Whet Your Appetite

For those unfamiliar, as I was, Hayao Miyazaki is the Japanese animator, writer, director, producer, and filmmaker whose work with Studio Ghibli has resulted in creative and influential animated films, including: Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, The Wind Rises, and this month's Food'N'Flix pick, Spirited Away, among many others. Released in 2001, Spirited Away won that year's Academy Away for Best Animated Feature and is Japan's highest-grossing film of all time.

Set in the mountain village of Juifen, in Northeastern Taiwan, Spirited Away tells the story of a girl named Chihiro who finds herself trapped in a spirit world. A witch named Yubaba has cast a spell on Chihiro's parents, for gluttony, and transformed them into pigs. Chihiro meets Haku who helps her navigate the world in which she finds herself. In order to save her parents, she works in Yubaba's bathhouse - a veritable spa for fanciful and oddball spirits - while working to free her parents.

When I finally sat down to watch the movie, sources - and my boys - were correct. The food is animated in amazing detail. Everything from the onigiri (rice balls) to the konpeito (sugar candies) to the ishi-yaki-imo (stone-roasted sweet potatoes) made my mouth water.

The food in Spirited Away is animated with intricate detail. Some of it is Japanese: Chihiro noshes on onigiri (rice balls) with her parents; Lin feeds konpeito (traditional, brightly colored Japanese sugar candies) to the animate soot balls; and even ishi-yaki-imo (stone-roasted sweet potatoes) appear on screen. Food is also powerful and magical. Haku warns Chihiro that she must keep eating the spirit world's food or she won't be able to stay in the world. Think reverse Persephone! And, it's a magical cake that restores Haku and No-Face to their pre-cursed forms.

I know we haven't watched any anime for Food'N'Flix; even animated movies are few and far between. I hope that you'll be intrigued enough to give it a try!

How to Participate

I hope you'll join the fun. Watch the movie, then post about it on your blog with a link back to this post and to Food'N'Flix. Use of the logo is optional.

Your post must be current (during month of film). And of course we don't mind if your post is linked to other events...the more the merrier. Have fun with it!

Email your entries to me at: constantmotioncamilla [at] gmail [dot] com and include...

• Your name
• Your blog's name and URL
• The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
• Attach a photo of any size (or just give me permission to "pull" one from your post)
• Indicate "Food 'n Flix Submission" in the subject line
• Deadline for submission: February 25th. I will have the round-up posted by the 28th.