By Maya Gallus
Why do women bring your food at local diners, while in high-end establishments waiters are almost always men? DISH, by Maya Gallus, whose acclaimed GIRL INSIDE (2007) won Canada's Gemini Award for documentary directing, answers this question in a delicious, well-crafted deconstruction of waitressing and our collective fascination with an enduring popular icon. Digging beyond the obvious, Gallus, who waited tables in her teens, explores diverse dynamics between food servers and customers, as well as cultural biases and attitudes they convey. Her feminist analysis climbs the socio-economic ladder¡ªfrom the bustling world of lower-end eateries, where women prevail as wait staff, to the more genteel male-dominated sphere of haute cuisine. Astute, amusing observations from women on the job in Ontario's truck stop diners, Montreal's topless"sexy restos," a Parisian super-luxe restaurant, and Tokyo's fantasy "maid caf¨¦s", as well as male customers' telling comments, disclose how gender, social standing, earning opportunities, and working conditions intersect in the food service industry.
Reviews
~ "Filled with sharp observations about the social dynamics of customer relations and workplace solidarity, the film should be an excellent starting point for discussions of gendered and class-stratified labor."
Fran Michel - Women & Gender Studies, Wilamette University
~ "DISH delves into¡ gender, power, and the art of service¡ What's revealed are the fantasies, desires, and prejudices projected onto women servers - including those of substitute wife, girlfriend, and personal servant." - Hot Docs International Film Festival
~ "Dish is a highlight of Hot Docs. Beautifully shot with a clear line of sight to point and purpose, fast-paced with impressive attention to detail." - XTRA Magazine
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