Feasts: A Study of a Series of Film Sequences Showing the Act of Sharing a Meal at Celebrations in Lower Austria (1930s–1980s)

In this pilot study, sequences from 108 films showing festive meals at weddings, birthdays, and similar celebrations. It therefore highlights the remarkable recurrence of certain forms and themes in the Niederösterreich privat collection.
The team focused on what foods and drinks were served throughout the decades, but they also went beyond this to look at what acts were performed by guests as well as hosts in respect to gender roles and social norms and practices.
This series of movie scenes showing tables decked with food and drink throughout the years could be used in exhibitions and in oral history interviews, where they could serve as sounding boards for talking about food-related habits and rituals, the structure of celebrations, and social relations. They can also offer insight into certain foods; consumer goods; changes in the design of dishes, table decorations, and festive clothing; as well as the history of restaurants and inns.