Eating Alaska

Filmmaker Ellen Frankenstein is a formerly urban vegetarian who moved to Sitka, AK, where she now lives with her husband: a commercial fisherman, deer hunter, and “hippie environmentalist.” In Eating Alaska, Frankenstein meets with vegans, visits lush local farms, and talks with Native teens and elders about wild and sustainable food. She also learns to shoot and butcher game, after which she goes hunting with a group of other women, yet cannot bring herself to kill a deer. The documentary poses many thoughtful questions, ranging from “how do we keep our food supply clean and nutritious?” to “what is meant by ‘local and sustainable'?” (not the plum that travels thousands of miles to land on a shelf in an Alaska supermarket). Informed by a wry sense of humor and featuring spectacular Alaska scenery, Eating Alaska is an engaging personal film about our complicated relationship with food. Recommended Aud: C, P. (G.A. DeCandido)