Walter IuzzolinoÔÇÖs series on Channel 4 ÔÇô Walter Presents ÔÇô selects the most popular, critically acclaimed television dramas from around the world, allowing anyone with a laptop and Wi-Fi in Britain to falsely feel like they are cultured through watching handpicked shows (such as SpainÔÇÖs Locked Up to Belgian black-comedy thriller The Out-Laws) for free on Channel 4ÔÇÖs streaming service All 4.
Each week Sinead McCausland will┬ábe reviewing a new show that the titular Walter has selected, hopefully encouraging more fans of world drama TV shows that arenÔÇÖt American. Here are her thoughts on Kabul Kitchen.
Kabul Kitchen ÔÇô a French comedy set in 2005 in AfghanistanÔÇÖs capital Kabul ÔÇô begins its first series with images from 9/11, providing a quick dummiesÔÇÖ guide to what happened ÔÇô except this time, itÔÇÖs not from an American perspective. The following birds-eye-view shot that quickly pans down and zooms in on JackyÔÇÖs (Gilbert Melki) titular restaurant emphasises where the comedyÔÇÖs creators want to take the audience, as we are immediately immersed into the world and lifestyle of Jacky and his extended family.
This personal perspective is the stance Kabul Kitchen takes throughout the series, with the show ensuring the charactersÔÇÖ worldview is what remains at the centre. With the backdrop of the war in Afghanistan ÔÇô and inspired and created by French journalist Marc VictorÔÇÖs time in Afghanistan as a restaurant runner for French expatriates there ÔÇô it would be easy for the show to become completely political and stray from the personal. In doing this, it would most likely alienate audiences due to a lack of familiarity ÔÇô and it seems the showÔÇÖs creators (Victor, Allan Mauduit, and Jean-Patrick Benes) are aware of this.
Instead, Kabul Kitchen explores these political events through individual characters, their problems, and how they try to solve them. Examples include JackyÔÇÖs conflict when he fears he has cancer but does not want to go to an Afghanistan hospital; the restaurant getting UN blacklisted after a rocket strikes Kabul; and JackyÔÇÖs involvement with a drug lord in order to gain profits. Add to this the arrival of JackyÔÇÖs estranged daughter ÔÇô they have not seen each other in thirteen years ÔÇô Sophie, who spends the beginning of series one attempting to open a girlsÔÇÖ school for the community, itÔÇÖs clear Kabul Kitchen mixes the political and personal together well ÔÇô and still remains a comedy. The comic scenes within the show are mainly through the dialogue between the characters, however thereÔÇÖs a lot of visual comedy within the show too. For example, in one scene Jacky and his co-worker are discussing money ÔÇô with the scene set up to establish the fact that this charactersÔÇÖ main motivation at this point is money ÔÇô and, as Jacky puts his money in his safe and closes it, covering the safe is a picture of children and the words ÔÇÿthey are our wealthÔÇÖ. Kabul Kitchen is a self-aware show, not afraid to make fun of its Borat-like dictators and over-the-top, delightful characters.
Finally, the visuals of Kabul Kitchen show Afghanistan in a fun and interesting new way; the initial beauty and mystery surrounding the world outside JackyÔÇÖs restaurant is introduced to us in the opening episode through SophieÔÇÖs point-of-view. Yet, as the series develops and becomes more complex, so does the cinematography and humour.
Kabul Kitchen is a part of the series Walter Presents for Channel 4. For more information on Walter Presents, click here. The first series is available to watch here.
Sinead McCausland