Is a ‘gastronomic society’ dinner the height of decadence, or an act of artistry?

In the short documentary The Art of Eating (1976), rare herbs are harvested, lobsters are boiled, caviar is spread and wines are paired as viewers get a window into a biannual meeting of the ‘oldest gastronomical society in Québec’. The Canadian filmmaker Doug Jackson has a good deal of fun with the proceedings, setting the mood with regal music and ornate title cards as he captures these diners – the vast majority of them older white men – relishing each whiff, bite and sip. Yet the film never fully embraces a tone of mockery – there’s clearly immense skill on display from the chefs, and sincere knowledge, dedication and joy in this culinary ritual from the diners. As one attendee notes towards the film’s end, it is, alas, only a twice-a-year occasion and, in his mind, not so different from supporting any other art form.