Holy Bread

A powerful documentary about differences, desperation, and people betting everything in their search for happiness.

Fall injuries, snow storms, gunshot wounds, and deaths are all part of everyday life for the workers called Kulbars. A group of Kurdish workers does not have any choice but to transport large quantities of wares illegally from Iran to Kurdistan. Holy Bread is the testimony of these people, who do not have any options but illegal, dangerous work, to support themselves and their families.

The wares are carried on their backs. 20 to 40 kilos are transported over vast distances through the mountains. On the other side, cars are waiting to receive the goods and the men get their payment. «No one chooses this profession voluntarily,» one of the older workers says. We follow the men from the start of their trip and through the mountains. The snow lays thick on the ground, and the only thing keeping them warm in their thin tents is a cup of tea.

Holy Bread is a heartbreakingly powerful documentary about differences, desperation, and people betting everything in their search for happiness. It draws a painful picture of a reality that is very real for many people in the region.

Ronny Rype

Director

Rahim Zabihi (b. 1971-) is a Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter. He made his debut with the short film Havar (2004) and followed up with The Land of Legend (2008). His last film Holy Bread has been screened at several international festivals, among them the prestigious documentary film festival IDFA in the Netherlands.

This film is part of