Mozzarella Stories: Food and nutrition in southern Italy’s contemporary cinema

This article, using the framework of Franco Cassano’s ‘pensiero meridiano’ (Southern Thought), presents a contemporary reformulation of the Italian Southern Question, which decisively influenced Mezzogiorno culture in the 2000s. It examines the role of food in several contemporary Italian films as a fundamental tool for defining the identity of southern Italy today. By analysing L’abbuffata ( The Feast ) (), Focaccia Blues (), Mozzarella Stories (), Wine to Love () and La cena perfetta ( The Perfect Dinner ) (), food emerges as the medium through which ancient customs and modern techniques intersect in the South. Social hierarchies and relationships are determined, globalization is addressed and engagement with national and international movements such as Slow Food takes place. The South is no longer depicted through picturesque stereotypes but instead as a region where active tensions between tradition and modernity unfold.