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.
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.
A team races to open a Palestinian restaurant in Toronto while escalating attacks devastate Gaza and the West Bank.
Written and directed by
Aziz Zoromba
Produced by
Sherien Barsoum
Executive Producer
Chanda Chevannes
Featuring
Fadi Kattan
Nicole Mankinen
Faraj Abdallah
With the participation of
Guy Rahme
Elias Hashem
Karim Kattan
Anan Zaqa
Anna Patrowitcz
Fidaa Zaqa
Bashir Munye
Yasmeen Mankinen-Abdallah
Maggie Mankinen-Abdallah
Leila Mankinen-Abdallah
Selma Mankinen-Abdallah
Noura Mankinen-Abdallah
Director of Photography
Aziz Zoromba
Editors
Philippe Lefebvre
Aziz Zoromba
Marie-Pier Grignon
Original Music
Marc-Antoine Barbier
Line Producer
Mark Wilson
Additional Line Producers
Adrianna Marling
Melissa Paduada
Production Manager
Stephanie de Bem
Senior Production Coordinator
Adrianna Marling
Production Coordinators
Omorose Osagie
Eponine Young
Production Assistant
Q’mal Labad-Workman
Production Administrator
Victoria Angell
Office Coordinator
Allison Cheung
Administrative Assistant
Elana Emer
Development Producer
Samuel Caron
Bethlehem Cinematography
Omar Jabareen
Camera Operators
Youssef Ben Rajeb
Hadi Azer
1st Assistant Camera
Youssef Ben Rajeb
2nd Assistant Camera
Dina Attalla
2nd Assistant Camera & Swing
Bassem Azer
Digital Imaging Technician
Orkun Eray
Gaffer
Ibrahim Issa
BTS Photographer
Adrianna Marling
Sound Recordist
Evan Droog
Sound Designer
Ilyaa Ghafouri
Dialogue Editor
Nataq Huault
Foley
Paul Hubert
Foley Recording
Luc Léger
Re-Recording Mixer
Jean Paul Vialard
Audio Technical Support
Bernard Belley
Additional Sound Recording
Nicolas Field
Graphics & Title Design
Yasmin Ahram
Image Post Production
Post-Moderne
Colourist
Ismael Ouattara-Baldé
Online Editor
Annaël Beauchemin
Editing Assistant
Mathieu Dodier
Post Producer
Cassandra Vallée
Technical Supervisor
Anthony Lemieux
Translation
Fadi AbuNe’meh
Power of babel
Transcription
Difuze Inc.
NFB Post Production
Online Editor
Manuel Cordina
Technical Director
Frank Nadeau
Technical Coordinator
Luc Binette
Post-Production Support Technicians
Pierre Dupont
Phillip Hawkes
Albert Kurian
Marcus Matyas
Kevin Riley
Patrick Trahan
Post-Production Coordinator
Vaishnavi Sambhus
Featuring Music by
Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh
“Blues in Minor me”
“Asmahan”
4G Minor avec “The ShadowBand”
“Sitti Aziza”
“Boom 808”
Plans d’archives
Teta’s Kitchen
Courtesy of Rābet by The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy
Sebestia Episode filmed by
Omar Jabareen
Gaza Episode filmed by
Ahmed Al Waheidi
Archival Audio
Radio Al-Hurriya
Global News
Vente d’archives, CBC
Extraits sonores utilisés avec l’autorisation de CTV NEWS © BELL MEDIA INC.
Bibliothèque audiovisuelle, service des communications mondiales, Nations unies
Location Art
Victor Mahana Nassar
Musicians
Drummer
Philippe Gauthier Boudrault
Oud Player
Firas Nassri
Archival Researcher
Emma Kehayas
Music Clearances
Tiffany Su
Legal Counsel
Peter Kallianiotis
Senior Marketing Advisor
Kay Rondonneau
Marketing Project Manager
Andrea Elalouf
Marketing Coordinator
Harmonie Hemming
Publicist
Jennifer Mair
© 2026 National Film Board of Canada