Food is central to my Mexican heritage and I believe it tells a story of our roots and how we once lived. Besides language, food is an integral way to pass on culture. I ask, what is a utensil? For centuries and even in the present time, civilizations primarily eat with bread, pita, tortillas or other forms of grains made into a flat pancake to gather the food. Growing up, there was always a big stack of tortillas in the middle of the dinning table during meals. We would rarely see utensils on the table (only on the occasion of eating soup). This is the cultural norm for a lot of families yet still can be seen as strange in typical western-centric dining etiquette.The unspoken questions about class and being civilized come into play. In Comida a Mano I explore these views by interviewing my dad and cousin who owns and operates a tortilleria in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Shot, Edited, Directed by Eva Aguila
Translation & Transcribed by Javier Lopez
Sound Mixing by Chris Candelaria
Color by Jerimiah Morey
Copyright 2019

Comida a Mano at the Reseda Recreation Center, part of the 2019 “Current:LA” biennial.
PANIC STUDIO LA, COURTESY CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS (DCA)
Comida a Mano at SIMMER, Murray Art Museum Albury, 2021 photo by Jeremy Weihrauch