Food and Film: The Automat
Co-presented with the UCLA Film & Television Archive
Food and Film is a quarterly series designed to delight the senses and inspire the mind. Curated with renowned chef, activist and cinephile Alice Waters, who will be in-person with filmmaker Lisa Hurwitz, each program in the series draws on Waters’ philosophy that eating, like art, is a political act and that exploring the intersections between the culinary and moving image arts can help illuminate the path toward building more sustainable, thriving communities together.
The Merry Cafe (1936)
Soon after a hungry Krazy Kat enters the “The Eato-mat Restaurant,” inspired by the famous Automat, the place comes alive with singing and dancing food.
16mm, b&w, 7 min. Directors: Manny Gould, Ben Harrison. Screenwriters: Allen Rose, George Herriman.
The Automat (2021)
Director Lisa Hurwitz’s documentary on the Automat brims with nostalgia for the fabled restaurant chain founded in 1902 and known for its iconic method of service. A chief booster, Mel Brooks wistfully recalls its famed five-cent cup of coffee and strawberry rhubarb pie, drawn from a behind windowed, coin-operated door. In its heyday, Automats in Philadelphia and New York served over 800,000 people a day but each ornately designed location felt decidedly local. Hurwitz’s extensive interviews make the case that along with fresh-made meals, Automats served up a sense of community, optimism and egalitarianism, qualities lost in our current fast food culture.
DCP, color and b&w, 79 min. Director: Lisa Hurwitz. Screenwriter: Michael Levine. With: Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Elliott Gould.
ATTENDING THIS PROGRAM?
Ticketing: Admission is free. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Box office opens one hour before the event.
Member Benefit: Subject to availability, Hammer Members can choose their preferred seats. Members receive priority ticketing until 15 minutes before the program. Learn more about membership.
Parking: Valet parking is available on Lindbrook Drive for $15 cash only. Self-parking is available under the museum. Rates are $8 for the first three hours with museum validation, and $3 for each additional 20 minutes, with a $22 daily maximum. There is an $8 flat rate after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on weekends.
Press: If you are a member of the press and are interested in attending and covering the program, please email the Hammer’s Senior PR Manager, Santiago Pazos, at spazos@hammer.ucla.edu for accommodations.
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