The Library hosted the type of event that I have not been able to attend in ages and it thrilled me. No joke. They held a free screening of Just Eat It: A Food Waste Movie with a Q&A period with the film's producer afterwards. The movie itself was a great documentary of the amount of food wasted in North America, showing the producer and director embarking on a six month journey of living off food that is discarded or about to be.
The British Columbia pair created an informative and inspiring film that was often quite funny. It avoided the 'world-is-ending' tone, which, though likely true, usually turns off so many people. With students, for example, they feel so much like the problem is beyond them that there is no point in changing behaviour. Just Eat It, however, makes it clear that there are really simple things we can do to reduce the vast amounts of food wasted each year.
Back to my main point though...the thrill of the evening was not the film itself, but the fact that a large auditorium was filled with people who turned out to see an issue-related documentary. The host was a government funded, people supported institution with the primary function of lending people things for free to increase learning. After years overseas, I had forgotten how much events and institutions like this matter to me.
Part of it is, of course, related to language. In Thailand, though I speak Thai quite well, a full length film with Q&A would have been difficult. But more importantly, this type of event doesn't really happen in most countries. And this type of institution - based on lending people things for free - doesn't really exist in many parts of the world.
So last night, I felt lucky. I felt excited, and I felt committed to supporting my community institutions and the issues they face.
Thanks again, VPL.
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