A National Film Board of Canada production

In his debut feature documentary, Aziz Zoromba follows acclaimed chef Fadi Kattan and Canadian co-venturer Nicole Mankinen as they race to open a Palestinian restaurant in Toronto. While their dream takes shape, escalating attacks devastate Gaza and the West Bank. Part immersive food film and part urgent record, LOUF is a powerful meditation on diaspora, resistance, and the politics of preservation.

Logline

A team races to open a Palestinian restaurant in Toronto while escalating attacks devastate Gaza and the West Bank.

Long synopsis

LOUF follows acclaimed chef Fadi Kattan and his Canadian co-venturer Nicole Mankinen as they race to open a Palestinian restaurant in the heart of Toronto.

Fueled by a shared passion, they plunge into the demands of their restaurant-in-the-making. Nicole balances entrepreneurship with raising five daughters. Fadi builds a team that feels like family and a menu inspired by the villages that raised him. Together, they transform a space to reflect the Palestinian terroir.

But as their dream takes shape, escalating attacks devastate Gaza and the West Bank. The ordinary challenges of launching a restaurant are eclipsed by mounting grief, fractured supply chains, and the anguish of witnessing unrelenting devastation. Under this weight, Fadi and Nicole are forced to confront tensions that threaten their vision.

Part immersive food film and part urgent record, LOUF is a meditation on diaspora and the politics of preservation. Filmed with intimate access and patient vérité, Aziz Zoromba’s debut feature documentary invites audiences to experience beauty and resistance carried in every dish.