My goal for the Arab Film Festival is to not gain too much weight. With titles such as Soup over Bethlehem, Falafel, and Lebanese Turnip Pickles it would be hard not to be hungry for some Middle Eastern cuisine. My mind was thinking about Middle Eastern food when I remembered all the films from Morocco. My mouth watered as I pictured couscous and chicken tajine.

I reminded myself that I was there for the films not the food. But as I approached the Roxie Cinema in San Francisco I noticed a man eating a falafel outside a nearby restaurant, and my willpower started to deteriorate. As I entered the cinema I smelled the popcorn. I had just eaten my lunch and wasn’t hungry but couldn’t stop thinking about pita and hummus. I quickly glanced around but it was just the usual candy and soft drinks. I made an effort to ignore the popcorn and waited for the film to start.

Never have I seen so many advertisements for Middle Eastern cuisine as I did before the first film. I looked around the room and wondered if I was the only one who saw the advertisements. Was my craving causing a hallucination? Just when I thought they would start the film, they started with the Mediterranean restaurant advertisements. I mentally pleaded with the technician to not show any baklava. Thankfully, there was no baklava in sight, and I reminded myself again that I was there for the films.

This led me to think about theatres serving food that matched the movie. Of course it’s easier with a themed film festival. It gets a bit tricky when you’re showing Gone Baby Gone in one room and Wristcutters in another- then what do you serve? Then it’s back to serving popcorn and Red Vines. But this was the Arab Film Festival - would a bit of hummus be too difficult? Pitas?