Faith in Food – Islam in Iran

“Faith in Food – Islam in Iran” (2022)
“Les dieux passent à table – Les musulmans d’Iran”

Documentary: 26 minutes
Written by: Catharina Kleber
Directed by: Catharina Kleber and Niloufar Taghizadeh

The way we eat has always been determined by religious dietary rules and traditions. Author Catharina Kleber explores how religion has shaped cuisine in five different regions of the world. In Iran, looking for traces of Islam in the kitchen, the journey takes us to Tehran for the Eyd-e-ghorban holiday. An imam explains the roots of the Islamic festival of sacrifice and proudly gives a tour of his pastry shop. Both professions are based on the same vocation: to bring joy to people. In Ali Attar’s restaurant, cook Bahareh is in charge. Here, a feast for 250 people is cooked and then packed into small boxes: everyone should have enough on this day and the food is distributed to the needy. In Isfahan, in the fragrant world of a spice merchant, one can experience how food and healing are inextricably linked in this country. This connection is also rooted in faith. A devout Christian, of all people, cooks the most traditional of Islamic recipes, Sholeh Zard. This joins a series of encounters in which people speak more often of tradition than of faith, more often of culture than of the Koran. An exploratory journey full of encounters and discoveries. With humor and warmth, language barriers are effortlessly overcome. Every encounter is an opportunity, every conversation opens up a world. Hospitality is the key. This virtue is the heart of a society that does not close its doors to the new, but passionately shares its fabulous stories.

Commissioned by ZDF
in collaboration with ARTE
Supported by MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg

Teaser: