Making a meal of food

Rachelle Duffy, Jacinta FitzGerald and Kimberley Cleland. Photo/supplied

Why, when food is in such short supply in some parts of the world, is so much wasted?

A documentary looking at the problem, Just Eat It, is to be shown tomorrow evening by a collective formed on the back of the screening of another film examining ethical issues earlier this year.

Just BeCause Projects aims to raise awareness of social and environmental issues and share them with the community while also giving people ideas for what can be done to make things better. The screening coincides with World Food Day.

For the film, director Grant Baldwin and producer Jenny Rustemeyer pledged to survive only on food that would otherwise be thrown away and in doing so, capture images of the waste.

The three women behind Just BeCause Projects are Jacinta FitzGerald, Kimberley Cleland and Rachelle Duffy. It was Jacinta who initially had the idea to screen The True Cost,a film dealing with the human and environmental costs of the clothing industry, in July.

While one showing was planned, there was enough interest for a second. "I'm in the clothing industry and have been my whole career and I've done a lot of research about sustainability and the terrible ethics (the industry) has," says Jacinta.

When she came across the movie, she hooked up with Kimberley of the Night Owl Cinema, and Rachelle from Little Big Events.

"We didn't want to just show the bad side so we got a few speakers in to talk about different things people can do in their everyday lives."

After the success of the first event the three women had a chat about taking things further.

"There are various issues that are important to the three of us, so we said 'why don't we do more to bring issues to people's attention?'. I suppose we are coming at it from a different angle -a bit underground."

The film showing will also be a fundraiser for Good Neighbour which works re- distributing food waste in the community.

"We'll have speakers again to give people something to take away to put into action in their everyday lives - that's why we got Good Neighbour on board, because they are doing it.

As for what happens after tomorrow's showing, Jacinta isn't sure, but the first film showing brought like minded people together.

"We've talked about different issues that it would be good to raise, but haven't made any firm decisions, but there are a few things that we think are very important. "We all do a lot in our own lives because we want to walk the walk rather than just talk the talk."

The big message, she says, is that people can make a difference. Everything starts with an action-if people wash their jeans one fewer times it can have an impact - it's something small that anybody can do, but overall it can have a big impact."

* The screening is at Studio 145 The Strand.
There are no door sales.
Email hi@justbecauseprojects.com to book.
Tickets are $25 including dinner prepared by Peter Blakeway.