The Wexner Center for the Arts begins a new feast of films on Feb. 4.
“Field & Screen: Films About Our Food” critically examines the food industry through documentaries and celebrates food’s pleasurable qualities through feature films.

“I can’t think of too many issues that are more important than this,” said Dave Filipi, the Wexner Center’s film and video curator. “It dictates everything. Maybe we wouldn’t have all of our health problems if we ate better food.”

Food quality is a global issue, so films from a variety of countries will be screened, Filipi said.

“The Gleaners and I” is Filipi’s favorite film of the series, he said.

Director Agnes Varda follows the tradition of gleaning, the act of gathering discarded food after a harvest.

In France, where the film was made, there are laws that allow gleaners to do this.

The film examines the amount of waste humans create in contemporary society.

“It’s interesting, and it’s a great film, period,” Filipi said. “It’s one of the best films from the last 10 years.”

The Wexner Center screened it in 2000 when it was new, but Filipi decided to show it again because the story follows the food theme, he said.

The series will premiere several titles for the Wexner Center, including “The End of the Line,” “Food Beware” and “Food Inc.”

“Food Inc.” shows that changes can be made if they are supported.

According to the film, Walmart shoppers disliked having to buy milk with hormones in it, so they stopped buying it. As a result, Walmart stopped purchasing from farms that gave hormones to their cows, which in turn forced the farmers to stop giving their cows hormones.

Change is also evident in the fast food industry’s transition away from trans fats, meaning unsaturated fats with trans-isomer fatty acids.

Even Pepsi has introduced Pepsi Throwback which is made with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, Filipi said.

“I’ve modified the way I think about food,” he said.

Filipi avoids corn syrup and buys meat and milk from grass-fed cows, which is much healthier than products from corn-fed animals, he said.

“I hope this series raises questions,” Filipi said.

A panel discussion will preview the series Feb. 3. Amy Bodiker of Chefs Collaborative, a national group that promotes sustainable food, will lead the discussion.

The artist’s talk with Natalie Jeremijenko originally scheduled for Feb. 16 has been postponed to Feb. 23. She will present her cross-species cookbook.

Admission is $5 for students and $7 for the public.