Planet Food: Malaysia

Land of the Ugly Duckling

1953 · ★ 7

The ugly duckling of the title is Hans Christian Andersen, the author who wrote fairy tales that still delight readers to this day. This Traveltalk series entry tells the story of Andersen's life. We visit the city of his birth and journey to other places important in his life.

In the Valley of the Rhine

1953 · ★ 10

This Traveltalk series short takes a trip on the Rhine river, with stops at Cologne, Bonn, and Koblenz.

Pacífico

2020

What starts as a desire to experience nature more intimately develops into a relatable conversation on alternative pathways through life. Two friends go on a two-year road trip through Latin America. Presenting an insight into long term travel and how engaging in new cultures and environments can help widen our perspective and deepen our understanding of the world we live in. Pacifico forms a discussion around the pros and cons of living in the moment; Showing how slowing down and observing the world mindfully can aid in gaining perspective and broaden an understanding of what is important in life.

Roots Unearthed

2024

A filmmaker embarks on a journey to his ancestral homeland, seeking to reconcile his present reality with the depths of his ancestral past.

Inner Revolution

2015 · ★ 9

Life is a great mystery, much larger than what would have us believe. By listening desires of their discoveries and their inner doubts, three young decided to start a trip on the surface of the Earth.

The the the

2010

Two women hitchhike, couch surf, and camp across the United States, yearning for more out of life. The film documents the duo's encounters with random friends and strangers, often revealing their qualms with modern times.

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story

2014 · ★ 6.9

We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash? Filmmakers and food lovers Jen and Grant dive into the issue of waste from farm, through retail, all the way to the back of their own fridge. After catching a glimpse of the billions of dollars of good food that is tossed each year in North America, they pledge to quit grocery shopping and survive only on discarded food. What they find is truly shocking.

The departure

An aspiring filmmaker tries to restore her fading childhood memories through someone else's travel stories.  One evening in front of a bar, Hunay bumps into an acquaintance, Benjamin. He recently visited her native country, Azerbaijan, which she had to flee in 2011 with her family for political reasons. A precipitous departure which has resulted in her feeling further and further removed from her hometown, family, and childhood memories every day. What happens when we can no longer return to our hometown, when our childhood memories are fading away? Can memories stay alive through someone else’s?

Cruising Do's and Don'ts

2007

Tips for what to expect when taking a vacation aboard a cruise ship, and how to make the most of the trip.

Sans Soleil

1983 · ★ 7.5

A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.

Planet Food: Spice Trails

2012 · ★ 7.5

In this remarkable journey, Planet Food travels the world to see how control of the spice trails, over the last five millennia, has made great cities and destroyed ancient civilizations. Our guides travel from the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, the original home of cloves and nutmeg, to the Indian province of Kerala, with its native pepper and cardamom. Additional stops include Venice, Beirut, Cairo and other significant places in the spice trade that created and toppled empires.

The Search for General Tso

2014 · ★ 6.5

From New York City to the farmlands of the Midwest, there are 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., yet one dish in particular has conquered the American culinary landscape with a force befitting its military moniker—“General Tso’s Chicken.” But who was General Tso and how did this dish become so ubiquitous? Ian Cheney’s delightfully insightful documentary charts the history of Chinese Americans through the surprising origins of this sticky, sweet, just-spicy-enough dish that we’ve adopted as our own.