Over the span of a 40 year marriage, Kitchen Tales follows young newlyweds from India as they settle into a new home together in the UK, grow a family and along the way learn the struggles of integration, the virtue of communication and the value of each other.

Kitchen Tales is a creatively ambitious short film from exciting voices in filmmaking.  Inspired by the tender love story at the heart of this film, a diverse team of women from across the globe are working together to bring this beautiful tale to life. 

It is a story that affects all of us, from every cultural background, and honours the journeys of our parents and grandparents. A story that’s rarely been told. 

We explore beyond stereotypical tropes to share a realistic, authentic portrayal of the immigrant experience, and the personal challenges that arise in a relationship when those experiences diverge. 

In this film, we explore tradition vs assimilation.
We explore feelings of isolation and loneliness.
We explore cultural relevance in new surroundings.

With a team from Indian, Italian, Irish, Cuban, English, Australian, Russian and Pakistani backgrounds, we all have found relatability to this script. The immigrant experience is one that we can all share.

The two characters at the heart of Kitchen Tales are first-generation immigrants, part of a huge wave of South Asians who came to Britain in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Today in 2020, where political decisions dictate acceptance and assimilation into society, the immigrant experience is a topic that constantly requires understanding and exploration.  We aim to create a film that unites everyone in our joint experiences, providing an understanding for our generation and ones to come, of integration, assimilation and forgiveness.

It’s 1979. A newly wed Indian couple attempt to make a home with their new life in London. Inspired by a cherished notebook of family recipes, the wife develops her passion for cooking, producing an increasingly elaborate array of traditional meals that convey her blossoming affection. 

But gradually, against the backdrop of a changing Britain in the 90s and 00s, the strains of everyday life, work and parenthood mount up. As the husband assimilates more and more into British culture, and the wife invests in her heritage, the communication between them breaks down.

Driven apart by what once brought them together, it will take years and a family tragedy before the couple realises the bitter lessons of love and sweetness of regret.

Anupama was Playwright in Residence at National Theatre Studio and her plays have premiered at the Royal Court and The Kiln. She was recognised by the Evening Standard as one of the Most Promising Playwrights and her screenplay adaptation of her play FREE OUTGOING was a Finalist in Sundance’s Screenwriter’s Lab.

Jane was Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio, followed by the West End’s THE INHERITANCE, which won an Olivier Award before transferring to Broadway. Her directing work also includes productions with BBC Arts, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and in London’s West End.  She was recognised by the Genesis Future Director’s Award by the Young Vic and JMK Director Awards. 

Nikesh was most recently seen in HULU’s FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and Disney’s ARTEMIS FOWL. Nikesh also played leads in INDIAN SUMMERS (Channel 4) and MAN LIKE MOBEEN (BBC), and was noted as Screen UK’s Stars of Tomorrow.

Sheena most recently completed Parkhouse Pictures A GIFT FROM BOB released in 2021 and Amazon’s SAY YOUR PRAYERS, as well as NBC’S RANSOM. Other notable credits include Juliet in The National Theatre’s adaptation of ROMEO & JULIET and Lady Somerset in The Haymarket’s RSC production of QUEEN ANNE. Sheena is also co-producing Kitchen Tales. 

Dorthe Tate is the newest member of our team, onboard as Executive Producer. Residing in New York with her family, Dorthe is involved in many different causes, reflecting social justice and women’s issues. She cares deeply about fighting injustice against women and is president of Freedom From Fistula USA and serves as a director on the board of Restore NYC, an anti-trafficking organization.  Dorthe recently co-founded an education platform for young children, called The Social Book Club. TSBC is an online library for elementary school children, filled with books about real life issues, such as diversity, life with corona virus and the UN goals.

Tania has led sales teams for independent and blockbuster productions, most recently spearheading EMEA feature film buying for MGM studios. She has overseen the development and production, buying and/or distribution of Hollywood’s largest independent productions. Screen International named Tania as a Future Leader and she is a member of the Advisory Board for the London Film Academy.

Currently, Cristina is Executive Producer at Discovery Inc, and recently developed Go Originals for Discovery US Hispanic, empowering multicultural communities through digital. Cristina is also founder of Atila Films, focusing on documentaries for human rights.

A film and theatre producer, Charlotte was Production Executive for BAFTA Winning and 6-time Academy Award nominated film LION, the second season of Jane Campion's TOP OF THE LAKE, and the Netflix/ABC commissioned THE NEW LEGENDS OF MONKEY, produced by See-Saw Films. Her short film THE FOREIGNER premiered at BFI Flare in 2019 and won the Grand Jury Prize at Dances With Films in Los Angeles in 2020.

Daliya is a writer, director, and actress from Dubai, training with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Her original play, BLANK SLATE, won Best Play - People’s Choice Award at Short + Sweet Theatre Dubai, and was invited to Short + Sweet Hollywood where she represented the UAE and gained national following and support as the youngest team at the festival in LA. Daliya will be studying Theatre, Film, and Philosophy at Yale University next year.

Bet is a DoP and cinematographer with an international trajectory that accumulates more than 35 leading credits. Her films have been selected in leading festivals including Tribeca, South By Southwest, Toronto, BFI London, San Sebastián, Berlinale and more. Further nominations have included BAFTA, Best Documentary at the Goyas and best feature at the Gaudi Awards. A further feature won the Nora Ephron Prize at Tribeca Film Festival. 

Isobel's Art Directing credits have included THE KINGS MAN (2021), THE GREAT for Hulu and Netflix's THE CROWN, as well as recently celebrated ROCKS (2019), SAINT MAUD (2019) and CARMILLA (2019). As Production Designer, she has worked on short film projects with tremendous recognition, including SUCH SMALL HANDS, THE PASSENGER, BETWEEN WALLS,  and OPERATOR which won the BAFTA for Best British Short Film. 

Kitchen Tales is a film for all the senses. We invite the audience to step inside the characters’ home, experiencing moments in their day to day life as the years slip by.  The shifting dynamics at family mealtimes expose the emotional challenges in their relationship and the gradual divergence of their lives. 

Note: promo video & content contains clips from films that have inspired us.

Food is a universal language that can express our love and our heritage. The nuances of a home-cooked meal can tell a thousand words, from how it’s made, to what is served, to where we sit around the table.

Cooking and mealtimes are at the heart of our story, used as the primary language of communication between the characters. 

As the love between the newlyweds evolves, the audience goes on a culinary journey with the young woman, from her early failed efforts with unfamiliar ingredients in an understocked kitchen (featuring burnt rice and undercooked eggs) to her growing flair in mastering complex recipes. 

The couple at the heart of this story are of Gujarati heritage, so expect to see a sumptuous array of delicious, traditional delights, including Khadi, Dhokla, Biryani, Basundi, Gulab Jamun, and Mango Phirni.

The cost of making a film adds up, from camera equipment to editing, from location to cast & crew. We want to make sure that this film is created with the authenticity and specificity it deserves and we’re asking for your help to make that happen.

Take a look at the range of perks at each donation level to see how you can get involved and support this film. 

This story could be told through the eyes of a variety of ethnicities. But it is the Irish, Italian and predominantly white immigrant experience that is most projected on screen. We want to highlight the immigrant story of the Lost Generation from the South Asian perspective in Britain. 

Centring women’s voices is essential to our filmmaking mission, ensuring the female perspective is accurately portrayed. 

Women are still drastically under-represented in the film industry. According to Directors UK’s report Cut Out of the Picture, only 27.2% of short film directors were women, along with 31.2% of producers and 23.4% of writers. 

It has never been more imperative for women to tell their stories, and for the industry to see women inhabit top roles in their fields.

Take a look at the range of perks at each donation level to see how you can get involved and support this film. Rewards include a digital cookbook with recipes from the film, private dining experiences and masterclasses with industry experts. 

The idea to have all levels ending in £...1 is inspired by this Indian tradition...

Everything in life has its own importance or a matter of belief.  ‘0’ signifies the end while ‘1’ signifies the beginning. A tradition that is widely seen amongst Indians is giving ‘One’ coin as a blessing. No matter how much amount you give, whether it’s 11, 51, 101, 501, it always ends on 1. Rather than giving 20, 100, 500, 1000 etc opt for 21, 101 and so on. Adding an extra £1 makes the amount indivisible. 

So, it is believed that the good wishes, good luck, and blessings remain indivisible, and is regarded as an extra bonus to the blessings.