CINSSU Grad Seminar: Food, Film, and the Archive: TikTok Food Videos as Alternative Archive

As digital technology advances and our understanding of archives becomes more diverse, social media platforms such as TikTok address the gap between amateur video and archivization. For diasporic communities in particular, the power of a cellular device has allowed for people to document their histories, including the preparation, consumption, and inception of cultural foods. No longer is mealtime a boring activity of being documented: instead, audiovisual storytelling through TikTok allows for individuals to pair the mundanity of food preparation and consumption alongside rich cultural histories. Looking at the TikTok videos of Joanne Molinaro (@thekoreanvegan), Afia Amoako (@eatwithafia), and Renad (@renadwatermelon), I seek to examine the forms, style, and accessibility of TikTok to document heritage in alternative forms, allowing for a more collaborative archival experience.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A section. There will also be refreshments provided.